


Nothing important happened today

by Clarissa_DN38416



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Nazi Germany, Alternate Universe - World War II, F/M, Older Man/Younger Woman, Petyr in a Nazi uniform, Poster can now be seen in the first chapter, Sansa is undercover, Slow Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2019-05-17 06:49:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 45,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14827433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clarissa_DN38416/pseuds/Clarissa_DN38416
Summary: Sansa Stark, working in telecommunications is approached by two men working in the offices of Joseph Goebbels, an English woman hiding in Nazi Germany is given the chance of a lifetime





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> calypsos_song ~ you are a darling! Light of my life! A very special thank you for helping me work this out. Hugs and Kisses!!! ♡♡♡
> 
> This is very loosely based on the love story of my Oma and Opa, my Grandma and Grandad and even my parents, all blended together. Some of what happens, my grandparents and their siblings lived through. 
> 
> I holidayed in Berlin a few years ago for several weeks, which has helped me with this immensely. It is a wonderful and beautiful place and it saddened me that it saw such horror. 
> 
> I'm so excited to be sharing this with you all, I literally just finished typing out my first draft of the first chapter, so I don't know when I'll update. I'm completely unreliable.  
> hope you all enjoy this!

 

 *poster made by **[Black_Lotus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Black_Lotus/pseuds/Black_Lotus) ** *

 

 

 

 

_Ich schwöre bei Gott diesen heiligen Eid:_

_daß ich Adolf Hitler, Führer vom Deutschen Reich und Volk, Oberbefehlshaber der Streitkräfte bedingungslos Gehorsam leisten werde, und daß ich jederzeit als tapferer Soldat bereit sein werde, gib mein Leben für diesen Eid_ …

 

 

_I swear by God this sacred oath:_

_That I shall render unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler, Führer of the German Reich and people, Supreme Commander of the Armed forces, and that I shall at all times, be ready, as a brave soldier, to give my life for this oath_ …

 

 

 

Every man, woman and child stood amongst the soldiers taking the oath as they stood in front of their Führer. His close men standing beside him and all their men as well, up on the steps as they looked down at everyone.

 

Sansa stood amongst the crowd like everyone else and resited the oath as a tear fell down her cheek.

Two men in uniform stood on either side of Joseph Goebbels. One bold, on the heavy side and a slender man to his left. The latter was looking at her, someone Sansa never would have given a second gander before.

Watched the trajectory of the tear that fell down her cheek.

She never thought a member of the Schutzstaffel and Gestapo could have such soulful blue, green eyes. The man with grey at his temples waited patiently till she locked her eyes with his again before he saluted her.

 

 

Getting off the packed train, Sansa squeezed through the door just in time for the doors to close right behind her and walked the two blocks to her apartment building.

 

Her small apartment was on the second floor of a six story building.

Tucking her gasmask under her arm, she rummaged through her purse to find her keys sitting at the bottom.

 

Door closed and locked behind her, Sansa made sure to look and see the two flags still hung above the archway as she passed through, the German flag and the red flag with the swastika in the centre, next to each other.

 

She went straight into the kitchenette and was disappointed to see the same three items in her icebox. A block of cheese, a tin of meat paste and a glass pint size bottle of milk.

 

From the loaf of bread made by her nice neighbours, an elderly couple living across the hall. Anita was a sweet old woman who had a hard life, son Harrold that died in the great war and a thirty year old daughter with autism.

Who still found time to bake and cook her meals if she ever forgot. Her perfume a floral sent similar to what her mother used to love, and gave her great big hugs that reminded her of the ones her father gave.

Sansa was able to make a sandwich for her supper while the kettle boiled on the stove.

 

Just before the kettle whistled, two candles lit in time for the power to switch off exactly at six o’clock. With the tea leaves stewing in the pot, Sansa turned on the radio for any and all updates.

 

Moving into her small lounge room that doubled as her bedroom, an arm chair seating one person and a couch long enough for Sansa to stretch out and sleep on. She moved the slot in the floor under the arm chair and pulled out a shoe box.

_“A message from the office of our Gauleiter…”_

a voice came through the radio, but was forgotten when Sansa opened the lid and looked at the same three photos.

Pictures from the last place she was truly happy.

A two story house surrounded by lemon, peach and plum trees. Her family home in Yorkshire, as they all stood at the front and posed for the photo. The second of only her parents and last of Sansa with her siblings.

Tears fell as a finger ran over the face of her brother Robb, lost on the shores of Dunkirk.

Looking at the faces of her parents, remembering how she hid in a friend’s house across the street. Looking through the blinds with her hands covering her mouth and silencing her screams.

She watched in horror as Nazi soldiers forced them out into the street of Potsdam, here in Berlin and executed them in front of anyone willing to watch.

While Bran and Rickon were dragged away into a truck heading for the Hitler youth.

Arya had slipped through the fingers of a soldier and narrowly missing the bullets chasing her as she ran away.

It had been years now and still no word if they are still alive.

 

Pulling out her crucifix on a silver chain, a gift her mother gave all her children when they got baptized. Tying it around her neck, Sansa prayed for them to still be alive and safe, if possible and another to her cousin still in England.

When the clock struck seven, Sansa packed everything away as she dried her tears and pulled out her pen and paper. Sitting close to the radio, listened and _hoped_ for any hidden words or phrases.

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

 

 

The childhood memories Sansa contained of her home in Sheffield, were starting to blur under ‘ _perfect’_ tinted glasses. The same way Ned and Catelyn spoke of their move to Germany.

 

 

She could recall sitting in her classroom and being proud that her home was twice as large, compared to most of her classmates.

Bragged they didn’t have to go out into the garden to use the lavatory like the rest of them, that they had two inside their home installed in both their bathrooms.

That every week she’d receive a new dress while others scrabbled to keep the ones they owned or how her family never struggled to put food on the table.

 

 

In the beginning of spring of 1932 after Sansa had just turned nine, it felt like the biggest shock when her father sat the whole household down at the table and told them they were leaving in a few weeks for their new home.

 

 

Her young mind ignoring the fact that Robb had already stored his bedroom into boxes, or that the staff had been slowly packing away old clothes and toys that no one played with anymore and taking them down to the local church.

That men had come and gone at different times of the day when her father was meant to be at work and was telling these men how much he wanted, if he was going to sell the dining room table or the gas stove in the kitchen. Or her favourite thing in their hallway, the grandfather clock that had been passed down from Catelyn’s great grandmother.

Or that Arya was getting Bran and Rickon excited about seeing the world, while Sansa would scream whenever someone tried going in her room to touch her things for months.

 

 

It all came crashing down in heart wrenching clarity when Ned said Berlin would be wonderful, that it was prosperous and ripe for expansion.

And before Sansa could say _‘No I won’t go, you can’t make me!’_ They were sailing away on a large ship taking them to their new home.

Hating every second she got sea sick and the horrible smell of the sea water and the loud people who always seemed to be shouting at one another.

 

 

When they finally arrived in Germany and having to take the train to the city like commoners and hearing their strange ways of talking.

When they all crammed into two taxi’s, to make it the rest of the way into Potsdam. Arriving at the house they had to call home, Sansa cried herself to sleep that first night.

When her parents realised there wasn’t enough bedrooms in house for everyone, asking Sansa if it would be alright if they converted the attic into her own room.

 _‘She had her own room, back in England!’_ Hating Germany on principal, the air was more clean back home, the people were nicer, the food was more fresh and the grass was greener.

 

 

Those first few months felt a nightmare to her young mind, how wrong she was. She had no idea what was lurking just around the corner.

 

 

Robb was with them barely a year before he enlisted in the British army before the rest of the family became German citizens. That his hug goodbye before he promised he’d visit in a few months, would be the last time she ever saw him.

 

 

She hated how she picked up the new language easier than her parents, that writing it was even simpler and how she was forced to teach her younger brothers.

 

 

One year into the war and only seventeen years old, she thought she’d hit rock bottom. Losing her family in the blink of an eye and a place she was beginning to call home.

Knowing her friends parents wouldn’t let her stay forever, she was already making plans to see if anyone would be sleeping under the park bench a block away.

When the man of the house had gotten her families mail from her letter box once the soldiers had left the street.

 

A sliver of hope shone when she recognised the hand writing on the last envelope.

Her cousin Jon had gotten a message through asking if any of them received this, to go to the British consulate along Kantstraße and directions of how to get there.

 

 

It was there that Sansa Stark was no more and she was now Sansa Schmitz. Now instead of a seventeen year old, she was a twenty year old woman who was an exceptional typist and proficient in two languages and knew how to use any switchboard placed in front of her.

Born and raised here in Germany, from the city of Lübeck and an only child to the parents of Helga and Wolfgang Schmitz.

 

They helped get her a job between Bendlerblock and the Führer’s headquarters. Which put her right smack in the middle of the entire block of the Nazi empire.

Not a day that didn’t pass, she would lay eyes on official head figures making their way between one place and the next.

 

Once a week she would make regular visits to any post office she could find and send encrypted letters, notes or telegram to her contact, Jon.

 

 

Two years in, and that was how she found herself sleeping on a couch in an apartment she could barely afford with a food ration card clutched in her hand. With clothes she was fast out growing and not enough money to afford anything else besides her rent.

Sansa now longed for just one of those days back, with anyone of her family.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not to worry I will be getting into the action and Sansa finally meeting Petyr, but I still thought this was important for her story. 
> 
> Forgot to mention, I will from time to time, include a few German words every now and then. With the translation.  
> Gauleiter - district leader  
> Kantstraße - Kant street (On a side note, Kant is pronounced cunt - a fact that made me crack up laughing on a packed bus when a voice announced it through the speakers, cunt street hehe!)
> 
> Bendlerblock was the offices of Claus von Stauffenburg and the other men (behind the Valkyrie plot)
> 
> Lübeck is a nice town an hours drive out of Hamburg, the location will become important later in the story.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I had no idea I'd finish this so quickly! (ok, some!)
> 
> Miss - Fräulein  
> Missus - Frau  
> Mr - Herr  
> they will all be used a lot in this and in future chapters.

 

 

 

The war was now into its third year with Spring just around the corner with most of the snow, already starting to melt away from the sidewalks.

Making getting the train and the bus every morning and evening that much easier.

Sitting on the RB14 train into Zoologischer Garten that would take Sansa part way and then the 100 bus the rest of the way to work. Only four streets away from the Brandenburg Gate and the Führer’s headquarters.

 

The siren’s had been blaring last night, just like any other. So like many others as well, Sansa took no notice of them.

That was until she was on the train that morning ignoring the stupid posters with the same blonde boy on all of them. Standing tall and hands on his hips, raising his head up high, while containing that same smug look he had in every one of his posters in all his different poses.

Looking beyond them and through the fogged windows, she could see red and orange smoke billowing from a far off distance, that still seemed too close for comfort.

 

 

As she fastened her pace and overlooked the people sitting and sleeping along the streets, all with their cloth around their arm or a patch stitched onto their clothes showing the star and showcasing to the world of their statuses.

Not wanting to miss her bus Sansa ended up running, the smell of ash and smoke seemed to be getting closer.

Pulling her warm coat, a gift from Anita’s old wardrobe of clothes she no long wore. The sleeves were a little short in length, but topped with her gloves, wasn’t much of a bother.

Slipped through the doors as the bus was about to head off, she flashed her bus pass to the driver and took the nearest seat available.

 

 

Five minutes later and walking towards the right building, completely desensitized to the masses of soldiers marching through the streets and men shouting orders or the occasional gun shot blasts around her.

Her hand covered her mouth as the air seemed to thicken and making it almost impossible to breathe, she looked up briefly and could no longer see the sky.

 

The guard at the door recognized Sansa and no longer asked to see her credentials and waved her through without a problem.

 

 

Taking off her gloves and placing her coat against the back of her chair while still trying to clear her throat, Sansa almost missed the new men standing in the room with her boss.

They were all huddled near Kurt’s office door made of glass, so he could keep his eyes on all the women throughout the work day.

Sansa worked with incoming messages and just sat by her station, only seeing a few other women around her who were also preparing for their day when Sansa heard her name called.

“Come here, girl.”

Kurt, her boss a short stocky man in his late forties with a receding hairline, who always called women ‘girl’ and the men ‘boy’ during any conversation.

Placing her purse on her chair she made a quick approach.

“Yes, Sir?”

She said as all the men gave her a once over.

“Joseph Goebbels’ offices were attacked last night. These men are in need of new assistants, I recommended you. Would you be interested in an interview?”

Kurt went on further but Sansa’s mind drifted off, this was just the kind of thing Jon and his superiors had been hoping for when she was placed in this very job and _she_ had been dreading all along.

“Yes, Sir.”

 

 

They were given an empty office to conduct interviews of the only women whom had shown up that morning.

Sansa was nervous and clenched her hands behind her back, not wanting to showcase it to the men sitting beside each other behind the desk.

With three men from the Schutzstaffel standing at different points around the room, including the man behind her, standing next to the door.

“I’m Varys Dietrich and this is my associate, Petyr Baelish. We’re both looking for new assistants, but each of us are looking for different traits. Does that bother you? Both of us conducting the interview together?” The bold man on her left in front of her asked.

“Not at all, Herr Dietrich.”

Sansa answered immediately and watched as both men sat and read a copy of her resume each.

 

 

It felt like half an hour had passed with not a single word or cough uttered in all that time.

While Sansa made sure to stay sitting upright with her back straight and hands in her lap, as she was taught from a young age.

Told _that was how you keep good posture and that’s how a proper lady must always sit, with her legs together with one food hooked around the ankle of the other_.

_Never with a leg crossed over the other, that shows lower statuses Sansa._

If she hadn’t been paying as close attention, she might have missed the smirks on both men’s faces.

“You started on the switchboards.”

Sansa looked at the skinnier man with short dark hair with grey peaking at the temples, which had been combed neatly out of his face. Who finally spoke and was sitting to the right, in front of her.

“I did, Herr Baelish.” Sansa said, even though she knew it wasn’t a question.

“Not enough details here, how long Fräulein?” Petyr asked.

“Eleven months, Sir. Before - ”

His hand raised which stopped Sansa from talking further.

Both men closed their folders on the desk in front of them and each sat back in their chair to look at her.

Sansa took turns looking at each man and settled on Varys when he spoke again.

“Tell us Fräulein Schmitz, why do you think we are looking for more workers?”

She wanted to clear her throat, but resisted the urge.

“I remember sirens going off every half hour last evening. From the destruction outside, I’m guessing yours is the offices that are still burning? You must have lost quite a few people in the blast… my condolences. And… and you’re both lucky to be alive.”

Sansa told them of her observations.

Varys had a look of suspicion and shock, while Petyr had an eyebrow raised with a look described only as impressed.

“What makes you say that?” Varys asked.

“The abrasions and cuts on both your hands, Sir’s. The cuts along your face, Herr Dietrich and the bruises on your neck, Herr Baelish.” Sansa explained further.

Varys’ face went blank, trying to hide his thoughts from her when she watched him and when she turned to Petyr, the smirk he’d sported earlier was back full force.

 

 

She didn’t stand up till each men had come around the table to shake her hand.

The hand shake from Petyr lingered slightly longer than the one from Varys and thought she might of felt his thumb caressing her knuckles for second, but must have been mistaken.

The hand at her lower back wasn’t, when he escorted her to the door. “Thank you for your time, Fräulein Schmitz. We’ll have someone inform you of our decision before the end of the day.”

Petyr said as the man standing by the wall held the door open for her.

 

 

Sansa was distracted for the rest of the day, sitting in front of her typewriter and waiting for the verdict.

So much so, she almost missed a few of the messages passing through about Himmler and one of his personal men were going to be taking over the investigation of the explosion that almost cost them Goebbels and his men.

 

With seconds to go before her day was to end, Sansa felt a presence behind her as she stood and pulled her coat on.

“Might I ask what you use, that makes your hair smell so divine?”

A tingle of fear rolled through her when she realised how close Petyr was standing to her back and never heard his approach until he spoke. With a hand hovering too close to the pistol strapped to his hip for her liking.

“I’m afraid you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

 _He really didn’t_ , a few of the women in her apartment building had been complaining about using soap on their hair, Sansa among them. It was suggested adding cooking oil to the soap and a bit of toothpaste for a nicer smell, since shampoo production had ceased.

Sansa spoke more boldly then she felt as she turned to face Petyr and inwardly sighed with relief when he smiled at her for the cheek.

He held out a card for her, which she took with a steady hand, but bit her lip when his finger brushed hers purposely.

“I’m sure you’ll be wanting a new wardrobe.”

When Petyr said that, Sansa played with the end of one sleeve of her short coat which he noticed immediately.

“Don’t you worry dear, if you’re as good as your resume and boss say you are, you’ll earn more than enough to fit two wardrobes in less time it took to get this.”

His thumb and finger fondled the sleeve where Sansa had fiddled earlier as he confirmed her suspicion of getting the job. “Be ready to leave first thing tomorrow at six-thirty. The car won’t wait long.”

“Car?” Sansa asked confused.

“Your days start much earlier now. The car will arrive promptly and wait for five minutes and not a second more.” Petyr explained.

“How do you know where I live?” Sansa asked curiously.

“Congratulations, Fräulein Schmitz.”

Sansa shivered at his departure. _What had she just gotten herself into?_

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zoologischer Garten - Zoological Garden (I chose the German pronunciation because it sounds and rolls off the tongue better) it's a place in Berlin, where the Zoo and the famous church that still stands in the same state is was, when it got bombed in WW2. 
> 
> The part about the hair products, unfortunately true. Both sets of grandparents and their siblings all told me the same thing. Soap, cooking oil and toothpaste. :(
> 
> Yeah, I gave Varys a last name, if you don't like it or think of one better, I'll be happy to change it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry to anyone who read this first draft. I wasn't happy with it and did a quick touch up. Sorry!
> 
> Enjoy attempt number two.

 

 

 

Two stops to go before Sansa was to get off her train and all she did the whole ride was look down at the card in her hand.

Sansa Schmitz, personal secretary of Petyr Baelish of the Schutzstaffel. With a number of how to reach him. A stamped image of the Reich with the eagle and the swastika underneath and Petyr’s signature at the bottom with a place for hers beside it.

 

 

She looked up in time when the train pulled into her station and got out. Hands shoved into her coat pocket to starve off the cold and she felt like she was running down the stairs, then upon the street.

Manoeuvring around the cobblestone footpaths and seeing her familiar street of apartment buildings, Manfred, Anita’s husband almost knocked her over in his haste to reach her.

“The food trucks! They’re early and about to leave, hurry!” He said quickly.

Sansa ran as fast as she could and managed to take a hold of the step on the back of the truck.

“You’re too late.” The officer said in a bored droll.

“Please? I just came from work.” Sansa pleaded.

“Doesn’t matter. We’re packing up.”

Sansa panicked and racked her brain of what to do and when nothing came to mind the engine started, so she dropped her hand so she wouldn’t get dragged.

 

 

She thanked Manfred for keeping the door open for her and ran up the stairs away from him when he tried to console her.

 

The front door slammed behind her as she threw her purse down on the nearest surface. Opening her icebox, Sansa let out a cry when all she had left was the tin of meat paste and knew she’d be missing another meal today.

The last piece of bread was her breakfast that morning and the milk was finished the night before. Not knowing what she was going to do till next Thursday when the next truck was scheduled to arrive again.

 

 

With her third cup of water poured from the sink, Sansa made her way into the lounge room and lifted the lid of her chest that doubled as her coffee table. Pulling out her best outfit and prepared the iron.

While she waited, she decided to have a bath now instead to save time in the morning.

Her navy-blue pants, that flared out and were up to her ankles now and the jacket that matched, coming to the ends of her wrists. Were ready and resting overnight, over ironing board that would attach back into the wall and looked like a framed picture of the sky on a cloudy day. It came with the apartment and hated that she couldn’t do a thing about it.

 

 

With her fifth glass of water just finished, she pulled her blanket over herself and closed her eyes with the alarm clock on the floor by her head.

 

 

It was almost six o’clock and Sansa was already to leave, anxiously bouncing her legs as she waited for the clock to count down.

 

Twenty-five minutes past six and Sansa was standing at the sidewalk in the pitch black and looking in both directions, wondering which way the car would come.

 

Headlights were the first thing Sansa noticed and covered her eyes when it got too bright. The car pulled out right in front of Sansa and the driver stepped out of the car and opened the back door for her. As she sat down, there was Sally, the other lady from work and sitting behind the driver already. They shared a smile as the car pulled away.

The streets were bare and the headlights were their only source of navigation making them keep a rather slow pace. Heerstraße, which was one of the longest highways in the country. Sansa was surprised when they turned left away from the city and towards a suburb of two story houses, further away from the noisy streets of Berlin.

“This is your stop Frau Müller.”

The driver said and pointed to the house with the only red door on the block with the porch light on.

“Danke, Herr Brune.”

Sally said as she exited the car.

 

 

With still no traffic on the roads they were in front of a large house in Potsdamer Platz in less than twenty minutes. She got a shock when the area was flooded with lights. Making it easier to see her surroundings.

The man, Sansa just learned was Brune got out of the car and came around to open her door. He offered out his arm for her like a gentlemen and escorted her up the driveway and inside the house. 

She wasn't surprised when there was a large portrait of the Führer hanging on the wall for every person entering to see. The house had an open layout with a massive staircase and a long hall. Every room was the same, white with dark wooden panel frames, with bookshelves, tables and cabinets in the same dark wood to match. 

But what surprised Sansa more then she thought, was there were no personal affects, anywhere. Not even a single photo frame of a loved one or even an image of his parents anywhere.

The house looked to have been bought by someone who decorated professionally for a living, with not a single personal touch to the person owning it. Giving the big house a rather sad, empty feeling.    

 

 

Walking straight down to the end of the hall they paused by large double doors, “Through there, Fräulein.”

Sansa was too stunned to say anything to reply and turned the handle of the right door and stepped through instead.

 

 

Petyr was sitting at a regular sized round table with his breakfast spread out and never looked up from his newspaper, sipping his coffee and still in his green dressing gown.

Wondering to herself if he was a slippers or soaks man. She held in her giggle when she saw his bare feet resting on the plush carpet.

“Sit. Eat something.”

Petyr ordered as he turned the page of his paper.

Sansa didn’t need to be told twice and piled her plate full of sausages, eggs, cooked tomatoes and mushrooms. Petyr folded his paper, resting beside his empty plate and poured her some coffee from the white ceramic coffeepot.

“Milk?” He asked.

Sansa nodded and swallowed her fluffy eggs and contained her moan she wanted to release, when she realised she was eating real eggs.

“Please?”

She asked nicely and got a smirk from Petyr as he poured from the small matching ceramic pitcher.

“How good are you at multitasking?” Petyr asked as he lifted his paper back up.

“The best.” Sansa said.

“We’ll see. Eat first.”

Sansa had no complaints and was pleased when he gave no objections when she had a second serving.

 

 

As she was sipping her first cup of coffee she had in four years, Petyr handed her the diary planner that would now control both their lives.

Sansa got shock after shock when Petyr had her follow him into his bathroom, he dropped his dressing gown and was completely naked underneath, then stepped into the shower. Sansa gasped and covered her face with the diary quickly when his chest came into view. She almost failed to recover when he made them both go over his afternoon meetings as he washed.

“Who’s first?” Petyr asked over the sound of his shower.

“Lannister.”

“Speak up, Sansa.” His voice bounced off the tiles.

“Just says here, Lannister!” Sansa said louder, almost yelling.

“Scheisse!” Petyr swore, making Sansa giggle.

“X, it.” He ordered. 

He made sure she was putting X’s next to ones he couldn’t get out of and crossing out any that could be delayed. That went on even as he dressed in his bedroom with a red-faced Sansa turned away from him.

“How do I look?”

Petyr asked when he told her it was safe to look again. She wanted to say, _‘like a Nazi’_ but bottled up that remake.

“Very smart.” She said instead.

Petyr didn’t miss her hesitation and gave her a knowing look and chose to overlook it.

He was the one shocked when Sansa stepped forward, with the book under her arm as she straightened his tie and his iron cross resting above it. Giving it a pat when she was satisfied.

They stepped into his study and went about organising the files his men were able to save from burning, until his meeting after lunch.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Danke - thanks  
> Scheisse - shit  
> Heerstraße - military street 
> 
> next chapter is the second half of the day


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait.  
> Nothing kills your mood for writing faster then annoying little brothers playing on their damn xbox, in the room right next to yours. Hearing yelling and swearing every two minutes! ~So many times I wanted to go in there and SMASH that bloody thing!~
> 
> On a side note, no one has complained. So Varys’ last name I picked out ‘Dietrich’ is remaining.

 

 

 

As they stopped for lunch in the same bright room they were in for breakfast, Sansa paused with her mouthful of salami and cheese sandwich. Petyr had left her alone briefly when he announced leaving for the bathroom.

She looked at the many spreads and sent up a silent prayer for God to forgive her.

Picking up her purse, she stuffed it with as many sandwiches possible, but not so much that it wouldn’t draw too much attention if they went suddenly missing.

Just as her purse touched the floor he came back in and sat down examining her.

“Something wrong?” Sansa asked as she tried to hide her slight panic and covered it as best she could as she took a sip of her water. 

Petyr took a slow bite of his own sandwich as his eyes lingered on her and finally shook his head _no_ and they went back to eating.

 

 

Sansa was sitting beside Petyr in the back of his black Opel Olympia with two Nazi flags proudly displayed on the hood and roof of the car, as they headed off to his first meeting and was desperately trying not to think about where they were heading.

“Now remember, Sansa. No talking, not even when someone introduces themselves. Just smile and shake their hand if offered, got that?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“You don’t leave my side for anything.” His voice hardened so Sansa nodded to ease his mood.

 

 

As Petyr stepped out of the car, he offered his arm and helped Sansa out. His arm moved but didn’t release her, instead brought her closer so his whole body covered her sight of the building behind him. Petyr leant in, it almost felt like a whisper in her ear.

“Don’t ever let them know what you are thinking, got it?”

Sansa was unnerved by how close and intimate they seemed to be standing together. His eyes seemed to be looking through her façade, to the scared girl trying to hold her tattered life together by a thread.

Sansa hoped he didn’t feel when her body shivered. She could see the sharp blue amongst his greenish eyes this close, that seemed to be getting darker the longer nothing was said between them.

“Yes?”

Sansa couldn’t remember what was asked or if he asked anything at all.

Petyr’s fingers on her chin and tap from the tip of his thumb meant as a comfort, along with his whispered _“good girl”_ let Sansa know she had just said the right thing.

 

 

Following her boss past the rows of flagpoles and straight through the doors of the Führer’s headquarters.

Sansa felt like every eye that fell upon her knew deep down who and what she really was. The building was almost stifling with the amount of soldiers and officers walking back and forth, entering and leaving. In every direction there was no mistaking exactly where she was and who was here.

She felt like a lamb in the wolf’s den.

She wasn’t cut out for this, how could her cousin ever think for one second this was what she wanted to do. A rich stuck up girl had no place in Nazi Germany. A country surrounded on all sides by everyone wanting them dead and her smack dab in the middle of that. Knowing that if just one person ever got wind or figured her out… that was it.

_NO._

_She didn’t want to die, she didn’t want to be here, this was not her life._

“Fräulein Schmitz?”

Petyr’s voice sounded like it was muffled underwater or from afar, not right next to her.

_That’s not my name! I’m Sansa Stark. I was born in Yorkshire. I miss my family. I miss my country. I don’t belong here. And I just want to go home._

Sansa had no idea where they were or who was near them.

“Yes, Sir?” Sansa automatically responded.

“This way.”

Petyr indicated with his hand and stepped back when Sansa seemed planted to her spot. His hand rested at the small of her back and moved with him with she felt his slight tug.

 

 

Varys and Sally arrived just as Sansa had taken a seat next to Petyr. Taking out her leather-bound book, Sansa took notes of the entire meeting as instructed.

Tywin had orchestrated the meeting, having Varys and Petyr repeat minute by minute, making a point to get as much information of the night of the explosion.

When Cersei Lannister dressed in her black uniform with the swastika on the left arm, which stood out brightly amongst the dark outfit, came right up to her father and handed him a signed affidavit from Heinrich Himmler saying that the military had no right to run the investigation.

While Tywin showed his daughter of his affidavit Herman Göring had signed the day before.

 

Both Varys and Petyr were annoyed how the Gestapo and the Schutzstaffel were fighting over jurisdiction on the bombing and saw no point for this when they were all on the same side.

“Sit down!” Tywin’s voice belled, cutting through the yelling and leaving the room deathly quiet.

“I’m afraid I can’t, Tywin.” Petyr had risen after Sansa had whispered something in his ear and had his hand out to help Sansa from her seat. “I’m running late for my next appointment and I don’t have time to see who wins the pissing contest.” Petyr explained as he directed Sansa to the door.

“Baelish.” Tywin’s voice made them pause. “You’d better cancel it.” He ordered.

“Absolutely. I’ll just tell Joseph I couldn’t take his conference call, because this meeting was meant to end an hour ago. No, wait – I can’t. Because he’s in France right now and he’ll be more pissed then you if I miss his call.” Petyr explained and turned to give an enraged Tywin a mock bow.

The door was slammed behind him and cut off Tywin’s angry response.

 

 

They arrived back at Petyr’s home just in time to hear his office phone ringing. So Sansa went back to her filing while hearing one half of a conversation.

 

 

Sansa didn’t arrive home till after curfew and the first siren was heard off in the distance, but with her new credentials it wasn’t a problem.

A candle was lit, to light her way up the stairs and into her tiny apartment. The radio was switched on and her notepad out ready, Sansa sat down with her stolen sandwiches and waited for any good news.

 

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

 

 

 

Her second day on the job started similar, with the car picking her up early. Only this time they headed straight to Petyr’s with no detour and saw he was still in the middle of eating when she joined him.

Sansa got started on the filing immediately after breakfast as Petyr seemed glued to his phone.

A huge part of her was glad they never left the house for meetings that day. Being honest with herself, Sansa was glad to not be anywhere near or in the building of the Führer.

Petyr didn’t miss her shudder and ordered his housemaid, Lena, an elderly tall woman who towered over both of them with dark curly hair, to get the fire going in his office.

 

 

When lunch rolled around Sansa started to get nervous, particularly when Petyr announced he forgot something in the office and made a point he’d be a while.

“Lena really outdid herself with this spread. Not to worry, I know how much of an appetite you’ve got. Don’t let it go to waste, just make sure to leave me _some_.” Petyr’s eyes looked at her knowingly as he left the room.

Tears gathered in Sansa’s eyes and every bite of food tasted like ashes in her mouth.

_He knew._

Knew about the stolen sandwiches and Sansa never felt more guilty in her life. Sansa didn’t know how long Petyr was gone, it could have been an hour or could have been just ten minutes. But when he walked back in and sat down, he saw not a single piece of food had been touched since he’d left.

“Es tut mir Leid.”

Petyr heard her meek voice from her bowed head. He reached across the table and with a finger, encouraged Sansa to lift her chin.

“Sansa, there’s no need to be sorry.” He said gently.

Letting her go and sitting back, Petyr ordered for Lena to come in. “Once we’re finished pack the rest up for Fräulein Schmitz to take home.”

Lena’s eyes softened at the order and spoke without hesitation, “of course, Herr Baelish.”

Once they were alone again he turned back to Sansa who was wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

“Thank you, Herr Baelish.” Sansa said once she saw him looking.

“Call me Petyr.”

“Okay… Herr Baelish.” Sansa smiled when she got Petyr to smile.

 

 

 

Her Saturday wasn’t wasted when she walked down to the nearest post office and sent a letter to Jon. Seeing the owners son, Eric behind the counter, Sansa knew she had an even greater chance to use their phone.

Ten minutes later and standing in the back office with the phone and the door locked, Sansa dialled the only local number she knew and waited.

“Ja?” A deep male voice was heard.

“Yorkshire tea.” Sansa whispered in English.

“One moment.” The man responded with an English accent.

After a few seconds a second man answered. “Password?”

“Wakefield isn’t a mining town.” She answered.

“Sansa? I haven’t heard from you for weeks.”

“I know. I got a new job…”

 

 

 

Sunday started off normally when Sansa helped Anita down the stairs and walked with her, so she could attend church.

It was two blocks away and Anita couldn’t cover her sadness at the people living on the streets. Anita got even more upset when Sansa made them move faster when she tried to give them the rest of the money in her purse.

“It’d do them no good.” Sansa whispered.

“You don’t know that.” Anita said.

“I _do_ though. No one would ever accept money from a Jew.” Sansa was starting to get worried when two Gestapo soldiers stopped to watch them. “Please, Anita? Let’s go.”

When Sansa’s panic was heard, they rushed to their destination. 

Making it through the doors just before the service was about to begin, one of the pastors approached and stopped Sansa before she could take a seat.

“Would you mind helping the boys?”

Pastor Weber informed her of the boys of the Hitler youth across the street, were having trouble with the heavy supplies, with most of them being too young.

Thinking this was her chance to learn something about her brothers, jumped at the chance and said _yes_.

 

 

When she reached the hall across the street Sansa was disheartened to see all the boys where too young to know anything, most under the age of eight.

But seeing their tired, sad faces as they sat on small cots barely big enough for them, Sansa still wanted to help.

Men were unloading bags of sugar and flour off the back of one of the trucks and handed one to Sansa, who carried it back through the hall to take over to the church.

When she made it to the double doors, the sounds of gunfire sounded surprisingly close.

Not wanting to take any chances, moved the heavy bag of sugar over her head and used it as a shield as she started to run across the street.

When bullets narrowly missed her feet, Sansa got scared and tried to run faster, but panicked and slowed down when her shoe almost got caught between two cobblestones.

Tears blurred her vision when she felt a bullet pierce the sleeve of her jacket luckily missing her flesh and no longer cared about a broken ankle and sprinted the last few meters.

Pastor Weber was waiting for her and held the door open and watched in shock when Sansa dropped the bag of sugar.

Sansa didn’t register at first how light the bag was till she looked down to see the bag covered in bullet holes. Not a single piece of sugar was saved and not a single bullet had touched her.

“How are you still alive?”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ja - yes  
> Es tut mir Leid - I'm sorry
> 
>  
> 
> the insistent with the bag of sugar really happened to my great uncle. This chapter is dedicated to him, who is currently in hospital right now.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the well wishes, I'm back and my great uncle gets to go home within the week, so I'm counting that as a win! 
> 
>  
> 
> What you are about to read really happened.
> 
>  
> 
> (hehe, couldn't resist saying that!) But in all seriousness, my Opa and his sisters lived through those events)
> 
> Fair warning, there is war violence described in this chapter and I'm not sure how some of you will take it. If you wish to leave the story that's fine and I thank you for making it this far. 
> 
> But if you do wish to continue, I hope it'll be worth your time and I promise this isn't what the whole story is about. It'll just be this once and won't get this bad again.

 

 

 

Just as the doors were closed behind her, Sansa heard soldiers yelling and firing off their weapons as more and more came out to fight, which seemed to be getting closer.

Men in unrecognizable green and some in grey uniforms marched and ran through the street with guns in hand.

Sansa looked through the small windows on the doors, she looked upon the street and guessed there must be snipers on rooftops.

Seeing the SS soldiers making their way closer, Sansa and Pastor Webber got spooked when the foreign soldiers spotted them looking at them and suddenly changed direction as they ran towards them, to charge the church.

 

 

As they both turned and ran through the pews both yelling for everyone to run and hide, Sansa's frightened state of mind reached new heights.

When soldiers broke through the doors, people started screaming and guns were randomly fired off, making all the sounds echo and reach deafening heights.

In peoples panic, Sansa was almost knocked off her feet when they rushed in tandem, while others fell down dead making the crowd worse.

Anyone lucky enough to make it through to the back, followed the other Pastor who had been running the service, out the back exit.

Sansa managed to take hold of a wooden beam when someone almost aggressively shoved her, making her lose footing in all the mass panic and looked up.

 

 

Remembering how she would always be climbing the trees in her garden as a young child to eat the fruit, she decided there and then, and lifted herself up.

 

 

The beam she was currently scaling was on a slant and connected to another beam going in the opposite direction leading up to the wooden rafters where all the lights were hung from. Giving the church an open feel and exposed it fully to showcase its entire structure.

At the connecting crossing beams half way up the wall, Sansa saw some nails jutting out where her feet could step up to help her ascend, when her hands could reach the rafters higher up, she reached out and bodily pushed herself up.

 

She paused and sat there just for a moment, for her arms weren’t used to so much strain.

 

Crawling on her hands and knees across the crisscrossing beams, Sansa made sure not to focus on the panic down below and concentrated on balancing when her knee slipped and almost made her lose her hold.

 

Sansa saw a hidden alcove where the building veered into a triangle where the giant cross was hung up at the front of the church, behind the alter. Just ahead of her, she carefully made her way over there.

 

As she came closer she noticed it was perfect to hide herself from everyone and saw there was a flat surface just big enough to sit.

Once there, she made herself as small as possible and hugged her knees to her chest, listening to the nightmare carrying on below and lost track of time.

 

 

Sansa jolted when she heard the pleas of a little boy that had hid inside a drum by the instruments left to one side and covered her mouth when she heard the men pull him out of his hiding place. The sound of a gun echoed, cutting off his cries and pleas which was followed by laughter soon after.

 

Some soldiers dragged screaming women whom had tried to escape, pulled back into the main area by their hair, Sansa covered her ears to block out the sounds of most of them being executed.

 

When she mustered up the courage to listen again, it still continued, a woman was clearly being raped and Sansa's silent tears fell as a man was trying desperately to intervene and put a stop to it, from what he was saying he was unfortunately the poor woman’s husband.

Sansa covered her scream when she heard the man cry out in pain when another soldier shot him in the gut and left him lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood to watch what was happening to his wife as he died.

 

More children were found hiding in the kitchen, one had managed to squeeze herself in an oven. The soldier that found her left her in there and turned it on. Two were hiding in the fridge and got locked in there by soldiers snapping the handles off. While the luckier ones were dragged out and shot in the head.

 

The sound of Pastor Webber’s pained voice travelled when soldiers pushed him to his knees as a few surrounded him. Men had found him trying to help more people head out the back door and was caught.

“What do you want? We don’t have anything of value.” The fear was clear in Webber’s voice.

A man in broken German laughed and answered him. “What we want is to rid the world of all you Nazi’s.”

“You’ll find no Nazi’s here.” Webber said proudly.

“All German’s are Nazi’s.” The man pulled out his gun and shot the Pastor in the head.

 

 

The tears wouldn’t stop flowing and the scream Sansa wanted to let out felt stuck in her throat, the longer everything went on the more hollow she started to become inside.

 

 

Everything was turning into a numb haze, Sansa didn’t register when the building went dark or the sound of air raid sirens blaring. Or when the building physically shook from nearby buildings exploding.

 

 

Completely unaware of Gestapo soldiers making their way in, in masses taking out any man they could, cleaning house. She had no idea if the sun was beginning to rise or if night still reigned, because all she could see was black and grey in front of her eyes.

Tears no longer ran down her face for she had no more to give.

 

 

Soldiers were searching the building for survivors and even looking through the rubble. There were men dragging out the dead and gathering them in one area while others were going through peoples belongings to get identification for the fallen.

A soldier was looking through some women’s purses and stumbled across something that caught his eye.

“Generäle Dietrich, sehen Sie!”

Varys made his way through the carnage and snatched the card from the soldiers outstretched hand.

“Quick, someone get me a phone!” Varys ordered to the men standing around him.

 

 

“Where is she!”

Varys turned around along with everyone else in earshot of the man’s loud voice that rang out and demanded to be heard by all.

 

 

Petyr’s stride was direct and fast as he came in looking ready to murder anyone who would dare to take just one step in front of his path, with three large men to each of his sides and one behind him.

“She’s not amongst the dead and I’ve had men looking all night. So far we can’t find Fräulein Schmitz.” Varys told him when once stood side by side.

Petyr ordered the men who’d been beside him to search while only Brune stayed behind him. Petyr’s eyes seemed focused on his mission and searched his surroundings like a hawk, while completely drowning out the sound of Varys’ voice as he prattled on about the surprise attack from the Russians and what possibly could’ve caused them to go after civilians when he saw something move.

“Get me a ladder.” Petyr snapped suddenly.

 

 

Men gathered and stood with Varys as Petyr ordered Brune to place the ladder against the beams over the alter and hold the ladder steady as he climbed up.

More came to gawk as Petyr balanced on his hands and knees as he made his way to a small area by the wall.

 

 

The first thing that broke through the dark fog was the sound of someone humming a soft tune under their breath. The second thing to register, was the calming feel of gentle fingers running through some of her hair.

When she found the strength to lift her head, Sansa saw the silhouette of a man’s face but before she could feel panic set in, he spoke.

“It’s safe. You’re safe now, Sansa.” Petyr spoke in a whisper as to not shock her further “You did such a good job, hiding the way you did. Now take my hand.”

 

Everything came back to her at once when the hand that had been carding through her hair brushed dust away from her cheek.

“Petyr?” She asked through her broken grief and disbelief. As soon as he uttered in the affirmative, he got Sansa clutching at him in a desperate hug.

“The people… Pastor Webber, they shot… and the little boy, they...”

Sansa wasn’t making any sense and rambling under her breath as the words came out fast, while Petyr cradled the back of her head to calm her again.

 

 

When Petyr crawled out backwards from the hidden alcove and came back into view, many of the gawkers jaws dropped in surprise when they saw Sansa appear holding tightly to his hand as he helped ease her out.

Varys was the first to quickly recover and slapped the arms of some of the men and ordered them to help. It was a slow and careful process, but as soon as Sansa was back on solid ground, Petyr and some of his men escorted her to his car.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Generäle Dietrich, sehen Sie – General Dietrich, look
> 
>  
> 
> If you'd made it here, thank you. Plus I'd just like to add that this - is in fact a turning point for Sansa, so I hope you continue on this journey with me.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU ALL for the wonderful - positive feedback from the last chapter! 
> 
> That'll teach me to underestimate the tolerance-level, GoT fans have for violence! :) 
> 
> Also it came to my attention when I was going further and writing more of my story - that there will be some violence ahead with this, but not so extreme like chapter 7. But as some of you pointed out to me, this is set during wartime so it's bound to get violent from time to time.
> 
> Only two major scenes/chapters come to my mind right now, and like before, I will give warnings for those 'few' who wish not to read it.

 

 

 

There were many hands helping and holding onto her as they helped her down the ladder and outside the church. The only thing that helped Sansa stay calm was Petyr's hand that remained in hers throughout the whole ordeal.

 

As she finally looked around and took in her surroundings, she was surprised to discover dawn was just starting to break. The reds, yellows and orange surrounding the rising sun gave no comfort to those who'd survived the night. In fact all it did was shine unwanted light on the dirt and ash, blood staining each and every one of their clothes, including the unsure grizzly future they would all now have to face.

 

Sansa's fingers tightened their grip on Petyr's when they passed the pile of dead bodies gathered by the side of the building and stumbled when she saw more small bodies of children amongst the dead adults and saw another soldier being careful as he carried another lost child out that would never have a chance to grow up.

"Careful. Watch your step."

Petyr said as he navigated them through the mess and towards the car parked just a few metres down the street as they passed some of the injured being tended to nearby. Including a woman lying on the ground who was pleading with the soldier that was tending to her head wound to put a bullet in her head.

 

 

The streets were a blur during the whole car ride which made Sansa feel exceptionally dizzy, so she spent most of the time looking at their still entwined hands that were resting on the seat between them.

With no concept of time, she had no idea how long it took, to make it or where they were headed. So she never ended up seeing the devastation of buildings leaning or hanging on by a thread from the bombs that had been dropped on them throughout the night.

 

 

When Petyr released her hand and stepped out of the car, her eyes followed his every step as he made his way over to her side of the car and opened her door to help her out.

Sansa felt like a fool for not realising sooner he'd brought her straight to his house. _Of course, her work day was about to begin_ and she got confused once they were inside and was escorted right up the stairs and straight towards his personal bathroom instead of the office.

When Sansa was left standing there, she looked down at herself she saw her clothes completely covered in a thick layer of dust and grime and watched as he turned the taps on in the bathtub.

A by-product of growing up in a houseful of siblings, she didn't care if she wasn't alone and started peeling her clothes off one item at a time and not caring where they landed. As she stood back up from pulling her last remaining items, her socks, hands touched her naked shoulders which caused her to jolt in fright as they tried nudging her forward.

Sansa turned around and calmed her frantic heart when she saw it was only Lena there to help. Sansa hadn't a clue when Petyr had left the room and managed to retrieve Lena in the time it took her to completely undress.

"Your bath is ready." Lena said calmly. Sansa didn't say anything but was grateful for the help of a steady arm as she got into the tub. "I found a spare robe for you and one of my old dresses for you to wear later, if you wish."

Again Sansa didn't reply and went about her bath on auto-pilot and wasn't aware of the finer products that had been purposely left out for her to use or when Lena left her alone, picking up the soiled clothes and the door closing behind her.

 

 

As she pulled on the warm thick robe, Sansa inhaled the smell of Petyr's leftover cologne which lingered in the fabric. Just as she was about to tie the knot of the robe closed a gentle knock was heard as the door was opened and in stepped Petyr.

"I'll just need a few minutes to brush my hair, but I promise I'll be ready soon." Sansa said as soon as he came into view and cut off what he was about to say.

Petyr looked at her confused at what he'd just heard and what she could possibly mean, instead he came forward and wrapped his arm around Sansa to escort her out.

"Come on, he's waiting." Petyr said as they walked along the hall and down the stairs to the front living room.

"Who?" Sansa asked as worry started to set in.

It got worse when she didn't get an answer from Petyr because the man standing by the entrance was already in view and there waiting for them. His hand was extended out waiting for Sansa to shake it, and she only did when Petyr gave her an encouraging nudge.

"Hello Fräulein Schmitz, I'm Doktor Bolton." He said once their handshake ended. "Have a seat and we'll begin."

Indicating to the couch in the spacious living room, but Sansa looked at Petyr in a panic and reached for his hand so he wouldn't leave her alone with the doctor.

The men thought nothing of it when Petyr stayed to join them, and sat close to Sansa on the couch as Roose brought out his stethoscope, to start his examination.

 

 

Nearing the end of her examination the only time Sansa put up any fight was when Roose pulled out a needle and tried rolling up her sleeve.

"No! No needles!"

Sansa tried using Petyr as a human shield and tried ducking behind his back, when that didn't work she got up and ran away through the house in no particular direction.

 

 

Neither man got up to follow, instead Roose handed everything Petyr would need for later. "Make sure she takes it." Roose said as they headed to the front door.

"No problem, and thanks for coming on such short notice. I hope it wasn't too much of an inconvenience?" Petyr said politely.

"Not to worry, Auschwitz was left in Ramsay's very capable hands." Roose replied.

"That's right, your son also became a doctor. How's he doing?" Petyr asked.

"Taken to it, like a duck to water." Roose said with pride.

Petyr didn't stay to watch the doctor leave, instead went in search of his missing secretary.

 

 

 

Sansa was in a panic and it only got worse with each locked window and door she came across. Knowing her only other option was the second floor, she double backed and tried being as quiet as possible when she made her way towards stairs.

 

Just as she was about to take the first step, two strong arms wrapped around her middle from behind and lifted her off her feet, making her let out a bloodcurdling scream.

When Lena and Brune came running in to investigate Sansa pleaded with Lena to help when her eyes caught hers, "help me, Lena."

"Please help me?"

Sansa felt hollow when they both people just stood there and Lena looking at her with sad pitying eyes refusing to do a thing. It wasn't until those arms bodily moved her around and made her bury her face in his neck, did Sansa realise that it had been Petyr and he'd been making reassuring humming noises the whole time.

His humming didn't stop till Sansa's crying eased and she finally sagged against him. She didn't know they had been left alone or that they had been moving, until she felt the pillow beneath her head as she was eased into bed and covered with a quilt.

"Close your eyes." Petyr said calmly as he went back to humming for her.

Sansa did as told and felt herself drift as she listened to his soft sad melody, feeling the full weight of grief and sorrow weighing her down, but as the tune slowly turned slightly hopeful Sansa tried floating with the current of trying to see past the pain and look for a better future just like the melody suggested.

All the while she didn't realise Petyr had gotten the cylinder and syringe prepared and lifted the sleeve of her right arm, and not feeling the alcohol-wipe from a cotton ball in his hand.

Her eyes quickly opened with a look of betrayal when she felt the needle pierce her skin and knew it was too late to do a thing about it. Petyr placed the empty syringe on the dresser next to the bed and placed a Band-Aid over the spot of blood left from the needle.

Once he put everything away, he moved up the bed and sat closer to her. "It's only a sedative, nothing else." He said as he leant down and placed a kiss to her forehead and whispered _"sleep."_

 

 

 

It was dark when Sansa groggily opened her eyes again, her movements were slow as she sat up and pulled the warm heavy quilt off of her. She felt as if she'd only been asleep for only a few minutes, but judging from the darkness of the room, she must of slept the whole day away.

Feeling around with a hand in the dark, she found the lamp on the dresser and turned the little lever to switch it on. There - beside the lamp was a glass of water waiting for her.

Which she took slow sips from and made sure to finish as she took in the room around her, the design was completely identical to the rest of the house, neat with only the bare essentials.

 

 

As she walked through the dark, silent house and made her way carefully down the stairs with a tight grip on the handrail the whole time, she saw light coming from under the door of Petyr's office and made her way over.

 

 

The creak of the big door as it opened didn't wake the man slumped over his desk and sleeping with his head on his arms, in what looked to be an uncomfortable position.

Being quiet as not to wake Petyr, Sansa looked at the mess on his desk and saw files and hand written notes from anything he'd tried to uncover on the church attack.

Picking up the book from under his arm, Sansa read through some of his findings and was surprised at how much he had gathered in such a short time.

A few German boys had been presumed dead and missing for weeks, turned out to have been captured and tortured by Russian soldiers demanding the locations of all known Schutzstaffel buildings.

But instead had given what they didn't know was false information of a Gestapo base, and told the Russians whom acted and stormed the place without casing it out first.

Petyr had written down the names of all the officers who'd given the order to go ahead and attack, and had underlined all their names twice.

The book suddenly dropped from her hands, with a gasp under her breath, and landed back on the desk when she felt the surprise touch of Petyr's hand reaching out to her.

"Interesting reading?" Petyr asked her, amused at her shock.

"Yes?" Sansa answered confused at what he was trying to get at with that question. "What are you planning to do to those men?" She asked instead.

Petyr didn't need to answer her verbally when he gave her a knowing look.

"Are they in custody?" Sansa asked.

"Of course." Petyr said with a smirk upon his lips and an angry look in his eyes, which Sansa knew wasn't directed at her.

"What about the boys that the Russians captured?" Sansa asked.

Petyr's smirk dropped as he rifled through his mess and pulled out a few reports and handed them over for Sansa to read, whom was disheartened to discover them to already be dead.

"Hungry?" Petyr asked as he looked at the time on his wristwatch.

"Starving." Sansa replied quickly.

"I'm not surprised, you've been asleep for almost twenty-four hours."

 

 

Sansa knew Petyr was easing up on the workload for her sake and with her tired state chose not to put up any fuss.

It wasn't long after they had lunch when Sansa mustered up all her courage to ask a risky question. "Herr Baelish? could I... possibly use your phone to ring my parents?" Making sure to use her small pitiful tone.

Petyr looked up for his work and narrowed his eyes at her as he stood up from his chair and stepped in front of her.

"Back to last names are we Fräulein?" He asked and looked down immediately when Sansa grasped one of his hands in both of hers.

"Please Petyr?"

As soon as he nodded he got Sansa wrapping her arms around his shoulders in a grateful hug, which he slowly returned. He tried resisting at first but caved when she placed a soft kiss to his cheek and whispered straight into his ear.

"Dankeschön."

Petyr left the office soon after and shut the door behind him, to give Sansa some privacy.

As she dialled the familiar number, she waited as she saw the shadow of his figure under the door.

"Frau Schmitz? Mutter? I haven't heard your voice in months. Mummy, you... I... you won't believe me when I tell you what has happened. It was truly horrible...I just needed to hear your voice..."

Sansa let her tears come as she cried over the phone in fake hysterics and watched as the shadowed figure finally left her alone and made sure she didn't talk again till she heard his retreating footsteps.

"Yorkshire tea."

When an older man's voice came through, he didn't give Sansa a chance to speak first and immediately asked. "Have you finally made a decision?"

"Yes," Sansa made sure there was no doubt as she spoke, "I want to help take out Goebbels."

The phone was quickly hung-up when footsteps returned.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doktor Bolton - Doctor Bolton  
> Dankeschön - Thank you  
> Mutter - mother


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote out two basic drafts for this chapter that went in completely different directions! And I was finding it difficult to chose which I should or wanted to take... so thank you again to calypsos_song for helping me. Kisses!
> 
> So I hope the wait was worth it, enjoy!

 

 

 

It was just starting to get dark when Brune dropped Sansa off at the very front of her apartment building later that evening.

He stayed to watch and stood by the hood of his car as Sansa got out her keys to let herself in. Once the door was locked securely behind her, Brune got back in his car and drove away when he knew she was safely inside.

 

 

The sound of the door at a late hour drew the attention of her landlord, who came out of his ground level home to investigate and sighed aloud with relief when he saw it was just Sansa making her way through.

"Freddie? I'm so sorry. I haven't had a chance to get my pay check for the rent yet, but - " Sansa tried saying to the older gentleman.

"Not a problem, your fiancé came by yesterday and covered you for the rest of the month." Freddie told her.

"Fiancé?" Sansa was in utter confusion.

"Yeah, older good-looking bloke in uniform. Came by with a few soldiers and asked me to let them into your apartment." He went on to say.

"You let them in?"

All the colour drained from her face as she asked in a state of shock and appalled that so many men were allowed into her flat without her knowledge.

"Yes? I didn't think it would be a problem..."

Freddie said and stopped partway through his sentence when Sansa ran up the stairs.

 

 

The door was swung open and left to swing back and close with a loud bang, in a hurry Sansa rushed around everywhere to examine if anything was out of place.

 _He never said anything to me and I was with him all day._ It repeated throughout her mind over and over as she searched.

Eyes were immediately drawn to the arm chair, bending down she moved it slightly and checked to make sure her shoebox hadn't been tampered with.

With nothing in her lounge room out of place, she got up at examine her bathroom.

A few items looked to have been shifted but other then that, nothing was out of place there or had been stolen.

When Sansa stepped out she paused in the doorway of her kitchenette with utter shock at the two boxes just sitting there on the floor. A note was resting on one of them and with a shaking hand she reached down to read it.

**_'My amends for making you work late.'_ **

It wasn't signed but Sansa was more than acquainted with Petyr's penmanship.

 

 

Letting loose the slip of paper, Sansa made herself comfortable and sat cross-legged on the cool floor and pulled the nearest box closer. Sansa couldn’t believe her eyes, the amount of food and necessities she found inside.

More tins of toothpaste, toilet paper, tins of food and even more tins. A pound of beef and some potatoes, raking her brain, Sansa couldn't remember the last time she ate either.

She burst into tears on her kitchen floor as she kept pulling out item after item.

Flour, powered eggs and small pouch of yeast, items that she could give to Anita for her baking.

A box of tea leaves, another pint of milk, Sansa covered her mouth when she hiccupped as she saw the rare half a stick of butter and a small jar of strawberry jam. She could make toast again, just how she loved as child with real butter.

Unwrapping the second box, more surprises came. New clothes, a pair of pants that on first inspection, looked long enough for her legs. A new blue dress, a few blouses and a dark coat.

 

The baggy well-worn dress of Lena's was quickly discarded as she pulled the new one over her head and was overcome with joy, as it felt like it was made just for her with the hem no longer reaching the breaking point of looking indecent.

The coat was picked up and instantly pulled on. Another perfect fit and the sleeves just right, Sansa quickly rushed to the bathroom where her only mirror was, to admire her new wardrobe and see how she looked.

 

She rushed back and there sitting at the bottom of the box, something Sansa hadn't seen in so long. A small bottle of perfume, as well as something she'd been longing for and never finding for weeks now, a new hair brush with all the bristles in tact.

Sansa brought it to her quivering lips and placed a small kiss upon it. Finding every treasure inside the boxes, she felt so lucky and blessed for the first time in years, like it was all her missed Christmas mornings rolled into one.

For this one lovely bright moment she embraced the childish and selfish want of receiving so many things and silently thanked _him_. This was the first time in years she had more than five items of food in her icebox at one time and new clothes that fit.

Nothing dampened her mood, not even when all the power went out ten minutes later.

 

 

Sounds of knocking broke through her happy moment and Sansa fumbled in the dark as she remembered where the matches were kept and lit a candle before heading over.

The candle was placed on the big chest by her couch as she went over to answer the door. Once the door was opened, Sansa was pulled into a massive bear hug.

"Sansa, kostbar. I am so happy you're alive."

Anita had strong arms for such an old woman and wouldn't release Sansa until the hug was returned. "I worried for days and when those men showed up, I feared the worst had happened to you."

The top of Anita's head didn't even reach Sansa's shoulder and cried out her relief in her arms like a mother relieved to see one of her children safe again.

"How did you make it?" Sansa asked her as she felt overcome with emotion as they lingered in the hug.

"Some men made sure I was one of the first out of there, and told me not to look back and run home." Anita explained.

Sansa thought she was done crying, but joined in with the tears of relief as they still stood there in the open doorway.

 

 

"Anita, are you hungry? I wanted to invite you all to dinner." Sansa asked her after they both recovered and faces were dried.

"Oh, kostbar. That was the second reason I came over" Anita said, "Manfred got the gas stove working and I was here to retrieve you."

"Lovely. Then I have just the thing... wait here." Sansa said and winked at Anita as she quickly rushed to retrieve some items.

 

 

Manfred was coming out of the kitchen when the front door opened and dropped the tea towel he was using to wipe his hands, when he saw Sansa come through and rushed to embrace her.

Manfred and Anita had been married since they were both eighteen and still with everything life threw at them, they still took the time to look at each other with the same love they had when they were younger.

 

Anita lovingly shoved Sansa out of the kitchen once everything was placed on the counter and ordered her to relax on the sofa in the lounge room.

Their apartment was a two bedroom with bathroom and a descent sized kitchen and lounge room. Sansa wasn't jealous of all the space and she never complained once when Freddie first showed her all he had to offer a single woman.

 

Instead Sansa took the time to look at all the photos they had out on display on the walls and the mantle.

There were photos of Manfred and Anita as newlyweds and many of them when they became parents two times, holding each newborn child and posing for the camera. There were many of Harrold as he got older, most of him for school throughout the years.

As she looked, Sansa felt sad there were less of Christensen, their artistic daughter, who never reached past the mental capacity of a three year old.

On the mantel a photo frame was lying face down and Sansa hesitantly snuck a peak and saw the same lounge room she was standing in with an older Harrold sitting on the sofa with each of his parents either side of him and Christensen crawling on the floor in front of them.

"That was the last photo anyone took of us as a whole family before the great war." Manfred said in a sombre tone.

"I'm sorry." Sansa automatically replied without thinking and cringed at the over-used expression.

"Don't be. It's just hard to look at now, that's why it's laid down all the time." Manfred wasn't upset with her or showed that the conversation bothered him. "Someone's come to see you." He pointed out and Sansa saw Christensen making her way over and stopped by her knees.

Sansa knelt down and gave her a warm hug and heard Manfred take to his usual armchair and turned on the radio beside him.

Wanting to keep a light atmosphere, he kept searching till a station playing music was found and kept the volume on low.

 

 

Everyone ate at the table by candlelight in front of the sofa and both smiled at Sansa every time she fed Christensen mouthfuls of meat and potatoes whenever she felt the gentle pull on her dress.

 

 

When it came time to head back to her empty cold flat, tears were shed as hugs came and with a full belly and a promise of receiving the first loaf of bread that was to be baked, Sansa fell asleep as soon as she landed on her sofa.

 

 

Sansa was awake before her alarm went off, for she was too excited to try on more of her new clothes and posed in front of her mirror with each outfit.

She eventually went with her new pants and a white blouse. Pulling on her new coat and grabbing her purse, she almost flew down the three flights of stairs and rushed out the door.

 

 

She thought the wait was going to be her usual fifteen minutes in the dark and was pleased when less then a minute later the headlights shone down the street just she locked the door.

Brune got out and came round to open the back passenger door like always but this time Petyr stepped out and Sansa couldn't help rushing over to give him a big hug.

As she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, she let out an unexpected squeal when Petyr embraced her back and lifted her off her feet and made them twirl slightly.

Once Sansa was back on her feet she wasn't released like she thought would happen, instead Petyr brought her in and placed a quick kiss to her cheek and lingered like he was taking in the smell of the few drops of her perfume she indulged in that morning as she dressed.

"What was that for?" Sansa asked as they got into the back of the car.

Brune shut the door behind them once Petyr was finally seated and got back behind the wheel and immediately took off.

"We had an audience." Petyr pointed out that the face of Freddie was seen watching them from his widow that looked out onto the street.

A feeling of disappointment came over her at Petyr's answer and was quickly forgotten when she remembered to thank him for everything he did. From paying her rent to helping her through her doctors visit and up to including the boxes left in the flat.

He tried brushing her off like it was nothing and Sansa found it amusing when he buried his face in a folder that had been on the seat beside them.

She kept on gushing how nice he was and hoped what he was trying to hide was redness on his cheeks, but was more likely to be hiding an honest smile.

Sansa sat back and over dramatically sighed when he kept trying to keep up the pretence of ignoring her.

 

 

Minutes passed before the folder was dropped and put away so both could see each other. Petyr finally turned towards her when Sansa sighed loudly again.

"Something on your mind?" Petyr asked.

She traced imaginary patterns on the window with her pointer finger and paused for dramatic effect.

"This is no way to treat your _fiancé_."

The smirk returned to his face as she continued.

"No announcement in the paper or the radio. A girl waits her whole life for the big question and I didn't even get to see my man down on one knee or a ring for my finger... and to top it off, I then get ignored while just trying to thank - "

Her left hand was taken and she let out a gasp when he placed a delicate kiss to her knuckles.

"Forgive me, how can I ever make this up to you?" He asked with the same flair she had been using.

"I think I deserve more grovelling than that." She spoke with an air of pompousness as she tried in vain to get her hand back.

"Apologies." He said as more kisses were placed on her hand still in his tight grasp. "How about the biggest, shiniest diamond for your beautiful delicate hand?" He asked as his thumb unconsciously caressed her fingers.

"It's a good start." Sansa couldn't contain it any longer and burst out laughing and was pleased when Petyr joined her and chuckled.

 

 

The silence that followed for the remainder of the ride was more comfortable for all sitting there, including Brune. Who was the only one not amused by the antics that had come from the backseat minutes before.

 

Knowing the way Brune always took to Petyr's, Sansa instantly noticed when the car veered off in a different direction.

"Where are we going?" Sansa asked as buildings got fewer.

"Our new office." Petyr answered.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kostbar - precious
> 
> The great war is of course what we now call world war one (for anyone who didn't know)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, but I hope this makes up for it.
> 
>  
> 
> Warning again for any of you who don't wish to read the violence, please keep in mind this is wartime people.

 

 

 

The office looked as new as all the equipment.

Eyes looking at the three story like mansion, wouldn't have a clue that everywhere you turned inside would look to be a typical office or that it was the new base for the men working for Joseph Goebbels. While the top level was only used by Varys and Petyr.

There was a one meter wooden wall with glass panelling reaching the rest of the way up to the ceiling, separating Sansa and Sally. Each able to see the other from where they sat at their own desk. A large dark door was situated behind each woman leading to where their boss worked and if Sansa wanted to look out of the window to her right, there was a river of tree tops as far as the eye could see.

It took less than a week for Sansa to get into the swing of new office life. Most of the time she was typing up reports, posting mail, answering calls and nine times out of ten, transferring them through to Petyr, or she would make sure his filing was still in working order.

Her weeks felt very different now and when she was picked up in the morning, Petyr was guaranteed to be there with Brune. It was now becoming a rarity to visit his home anymore, in the past month Sansa could count on one hand the amount of times she saw the house or Lena, whom she missed.

Very rarely did anyone in the office go out into the field, but wasn't out of the norm when they were called away.

Tomorrow was such a day when Petyr and Varys had been personally asked out for a special errand and everyone seemed particularly busier than usual in preparation, with almost everyone working through their own lunch break.

 

 

Sansa had been working for Petyr at her new desk long enough to know where everything was and how they worked, while every Tuesday morning he would send her out for a five minute walk to post all of his mail at the post office down the road accompanied by two men guarding and protecting her.

Which gave Sansa the perfect opportunity to slip her letters into the pile.

The woman at the counter, Hilda got to know Sansa really well, not looking much older than her. Only that morning both women were surprised Sansa had received a letter. Sansa knew she had been sending more letters recently finding it easier with the newest opportunity given to her, but this was the first time she had ever received one back and was curious as she took it from Hilda's hand.

Thanking her, Sansa knew it wouldn't be smart to open it now and discreetly placed it in the inside chest pocket of her coat, to read later and alone in her apartment, away from prying eyes.

 

 

Weekdays were filled up now, which left most of her weekends free. Which Sansa used as Petyr put the first time they met, _to expand her wardrobe_ now that she had regular pay checks coming in and could afford descent footwear and pantyhose.

Sundays were spent in front of her radio to regularly check if any messages were meant for Sansa to reach out to her contacts, which luckily hadn't happened so far.

 

 

The afternoon was busy and Sansa had been spending all her time in the office that day typing up a report Petyr had hastily scribbled out and needed by the end of the day on her new typewriter.

When the phone on the left side of her desk chirped, she didn't hesitate to answer and manoeuvred the receiver in such a way so her hands were still free. A task that wasn't easy at first for her and took days to master.

"Ja, Herr Baelish?" Sansa picked up the phone that was only connected to an identical one in Petyr's office, while the one on her right was for in and out going calls.

"What happened to _Petyr_?" His smooth voice filtered through the line.

"We are _working_." Sansa answered automatically as she did every time he asked the same thing every time she picked up the phone and thought nothing of it this time, so she went back to typing.

" _So_?" Petyr dragged out the word as long as he could, while Sansa could imagine clearly him sporting his usual smirk as he leant back in his leather-bound chair.

"I pride myself of being a professional at work, maybe you should try it sometime?" Sansa couldn't stop her sassy retort and looked over to make sure Sally hadn't overheard, her mind eased when Sally was busy at her own desk in her own little world.

"You willing to _teach_ me?"

That made Sansa pause but she chose to purposely ignore it and went back to her typing. "Is there anything else? Or is this the only reason we're - "

"Don't make me regret hiring you Fräulein Schmitz. All this talking back to your boss will never get you good references for future _positions_."

Sansa had no idea why his reprimand made her suddenly feel like she wanted to squirm in her chair.

"Do you know where the files on the Russian officers are? I've been looking and nothing." Petyr's tone changed back and sounded professional as he asked about the files of the men from the church attack.

"You left Vinokurov and Bobrinsky on my desk. Avilov and Grushanin are in your green filing cabinet across from you and to your left." Sansa told him instantly and wasn't bothered when he hung up seconds later.

When the phone chirped minutes later it came as no surprise to Sansa, who spoke first. "You had me file them under Dickkopf."

She put the phone down knowing he had done the same as her giggles escaped unhindered as she opened her drawers and retrieved the other two files before raising from her chair and opening his door.

 

 

 

As Sansa opened her apartment door later that evening she jumped when Manfred let out a startled yelp when the door opened suddenly.

"Warn me next time. My heart isn't as young as it used to be." He said as one hand clutched his chest.

"Sorry." Sansa said as they embraced warmly.

It almost went past her that Manfred had been repainting anyone's windows or touching them up, for anyone in the apartment building who asked. He had offered to help Sansa while she had been at work.

"Almost done?" Sansa asked as she put her purse done and went about getting a glass of water for the both of them.

"Almost." Manfred had been painting the windows with black paint as per regulations if anyone didn't have anything to block out all the light for air raids. The only problem that Sansa had forgotten about, was the strong smell of the paint. Once Manfred had finished his work and his drink, he packed up the gear and headed for the door.

"Don't think you're getting out of it. You're expected for dinner in... half an hour." Manfred said as he checked his watch.

Sansa had been anxious the whole time for him to leave, but still smiled warmly and nodded as he left. She looked up when he widened the door again. "And bring a change of clothes, I'm not having you sleep in this apartment with all these fumes."

 

 

With shaking hands the letter was retrieved from its envelope and read over twice.

Sansa choked as she read the first letter she'd received from Jon since the war broke out. He let her know he'd been getting all of her letters and was happy she was still alive and incredibly worried for her safety. Especially now that she was in the thick of it. He went on to say how he was fairing in London and how things weren't easy for him either. As she got absorbed in his words she almost missed the tiny writing added and squeezed in, at the bottom of the last page.

 

**_P.S. From how you've been describing this man, Baelish. It sounds as if he's infatuated with you. So please be careful with a man like that._ **

**_Burn this once you've read this._ **

 

A sudden knock at the door made Sansa hastily run into her kitchenette and turned on the gas to burn the letter to nothing, once there was no more traces left she rushed to answer. Freddie her landlord was there standing impatiently. "Phone call for you."

Sansa quickly followed him down to the only phone in the entire building which was by the wall in between the front door and Freddie's apartment. Freddie shut his door and Sansa didn't talk till she was alone in the hall.

"Ja?" Sansa softly spoke.

"Yorkshire moors."

"Davos? Why are you calling me?" Sansa asked her informant and the one who helped transform her from a Stark to a Schmitz.

"Don't worry, I've made sure this is untraceable. Word has reached us from our sleeper that it's starting to get too dangerous. Once we hang up it will be total radio silence till you hear from me again."

"Okay." Sansa let him know she understood.

"Use your time wisely and get closer to Baelish. We need to know what he knows."

 

 

 

Dinner was more lively than last time for Sansa, but was short lived when the fiancé bomb was dropped into the conversation.

"So how long have you been engaged?" Manfred asked casually, both he and Anita just looked curious like nothing was amiss, while Sansa was trying not to choke on her food.

"Not... long." Sansa eventually got the words past the lump in her throat.

"Why haven't you set a date yet?" Anita asked and took in Sansa's panicked eyes. "Are you hesitating because he's an officer?"

Saying officer was the nice way of talking around the Nazi elephant in the room. But Sansa felt so horrible that she now had to lie to these wonderful people and feeling like the biggest piece of slime as she nodded her head.

"We understand, dear. Our Harrold was a nice man and struggled everyday with the horrible things he had to do once he became a soldier." Anita said, making Sansa feel ten-times worse and closed her eyes to prevent her tears.

Manfred saw and misread Sansa's anguish and left the women alone while he gathered all the dishes to wash up in the kitchen.

Sansa thought she could handle this, but being confronted by this sweet old woman, she felt like it might just break her.

"The man and the soldier are two different people. I'm sure Herr Baelish is very different when he's with you. But you must remember war is a terrible thing, which causes one's ethics and morels to blur. I'm sure the man he is with you, is who he wants to be. So stay strong for him."

"You sound like you're speaking from experience." Sansa said.

"Manfred was drafted once."

"What happened?" Sansa asked.

"His heart almost gave out and was discharged." Anita explained. "When our son died from enemy fire, this was the first thing he said to me - A soldier is a man first, no matter which side they stand on. With a heart that has the ability to love and to break."

 

 

 

As she lay awake in the spare bed across from where Christensen was fast asleep on her own bed, she stared up at the ceiling before she tossed the blankets aside giving up on even trying to sleep and got up to sit in the lounge room.

Anita was already there and sipping tea by candlelight when Sansa came over and joined her.

"Trouble sleeping?" Sansa asked.

Anita nodded her head slowly, "Talking about Harrold."

"I'm sorry." Sansa said the only thing she could think of.

"What about you?" Anita asked.

 _Guilt, a world of guilt._ Was on the tip of her tongue and tried to find a way of articulating her troubles without explaining further. "I can't get close to Petyr."

"Why?" Anita asked her.

_Because we are from two different worlds and on two different sides._

_How can I do what everyone is demanding and still be me?_

_Because I don't know what everyone wants._

"I don't know." Sansa said out loud.

"Have you both been... intimate?" Anita asked.

"No!" Sansa was shocked at what Anita was implying.

"Are you scared about what will happen on your wedding night?" Anita elaborated further into her questioning which gave Sansa pause.

Her mother never allowed her to attend any classes through school on what could happen and never permitted personal research, so in all her eighteen years this was the first opportunity that was given.

"Does it hurt?" Sansa asked and listened as Anita explained well into the night and patiently answered all her questions. They talked openly as she had wished her mother would've and could've done.

 

 

 

The following day started out like every other for Sansa and thought about how long it would take to walk to the nearest train station to get home in a few hours, when Petyr and Varys came out of the office behind her.

"Almost ready Fräulein Schmitz?" Varys asked.

"What for, Sir?" Sansa asked confused.

"To leave." Varys said as he looked like she was sprouting nonsense.

"Two minutes, Sir." Sansa answered as she rushed to finish typing the last paragraph of Petyr's report.

 

 

The drive felt longer with seven cars in total, with everyone piling into them and driving single file. While Petyr had made sure they were three cars down the line and behind Varys and Sally.

 

Soon after they took off, Petyr was proofreading the report while he had Sansa read out details from the backgrounds found on the Russian men.

 

As the cars slowed down and eventually came to a complete stop, Sansa saw they were parked on a long strip of road with two large towering grey coloured brick walls to either side of them.

 

She climbed out after Petyr and followed him down the left side of the cars towards a large arching entrance at the end of the left wall. Where there were large metal gates and two soldiers carrying rifles and both with a hand gun strapped to their belt, standing guard.

As they walked through the gate they were in a cobbled like courtyard, Petyr made his way over to Tywin and Cersei who were talking with a man Sansa recognised from all Aryan posters spread across the country. Petyr whispered his name in her ear while there where no eyes on them.

"Now I do get to shoot someone this time right? Not just giving the order." Joffrey sounded just as irritating and silly as he seemed in all the posters.

"Not if you keep asking like a stupid child." Tywin said.

"Of course you are." Cersei said as her hands brushed through his blonde hair. Joffrey knocked Cersei's hand away annoyed that she would try to embarrass him around all the soldiers, but looked excited at the prospect of getting his way.

 

As they started heading off in two groups, one going left and the other right, with Petyr heading in the latter. He stopped Sansa from following him.

"Wait here." He whispered again and Sansa was left standing there to wonder.

 

 

 

It felt like an eternity as she stood there waiting impatiently, but got concerned from the hungry looks from some of the guards and panicked when one tried approaching her and rushed to find Petyr.

 

There were just two steps up and she rushed across the grass she was now on and looked in every doorway of the shed-like building to her left to see where he could be, and froze in horror.

 

Men in ragged clothes all lined up with thin piano wire wrapped around there necks and Tywin nodded to the soldiers who knocked the stools out from under their feet and watched as the wires sliced through their necks, like a knife through butter.

 

Her hands over her mouth covered up her scream and she stumbled on her feet as she moved forward, the next door was just two steps ahead and she was frightened to look, but still managed.

 

When more people were lined up like in the other room, Sansa rushed on ahead where it looked like there was a long stretch of grass and walked along there, only to be tackled to the ground just as multiple guns went off.

 

The man who landed on her, covered her body and had a hand over her head pressing her face down in the grass to cover her protectively.

 

Once the firing ended the heavy man rolled off her and physically helped her up. When she saw an enraged Petyr making his way towards her, she turned to see Lothor brushing grass off his uniform.

"I told you to stay away." Petyr kept his voice quiet but spoke harshly.

"Come on Baelish, you're up!" Cersei yelled excitedly.

Petyr closed his eyes for a brief moment and when he looked in Sansa's eyes they seemed somewhat anguished, but in a blink he looked hardened again and ordered Sansa to stay where she was and not move an inch.

 

From where she stood Sansa watched as Petyr lined up with Varys, Joffrey, Cersei and Lothor with two other men Sansa didn't know their names but had seen at the office.

 

A sound caught her attention, looking to her left to see soldiers bringing out scared looking men in chains. Once the people were lined up along the far wall with blood stains dribbling down like red stained water, Petyr and the others raised up their rifles with only Joffrey looking gleeful and Cersei smiling.

Sansa had eyes just on Petyr and witnessed him take a deep breath and squeeze the trigger. Seconds or minutes passed when he dropped the now useless weapon to the ground in front of him like it had just turned to flames.

She turned to the left and saw men slumped over, fallen and one seemingly looked to be sitting against the wall, except for the blood on his forehead and a massive hole, still with fresh tears still leaking down his face.

 

 

People seemed to be disembarking while Sansa felt frozen to the spot and didn't notice when someone was talking to her, but when fingers reached for her hand it sprung a feeling in Sansa and didn't know she was running till she heard someone yelling

 

_'Hold your fire!'_

 

_'Don't shoot!'_

 

People were near the cars so Sansa turned left and made another left turn when she reached the end of the walls parameter. She almost made it to the line of trees when hands grasped her shoulders and roughly brought her back to a hard chest.

"Sansa calm down, it's - "

She recognised Petyr's voice and immediately turned and gave him a hard shove. "Don't touch me you monster!"

Petyr flinched at the venom in Sansa's voice and immediately stepped back from her.

"I won't but please come back to the car." Petyr tried reasoning with her.

"No - why?" Sansa panicked and asked.

"I'll take you home." He promised.

"I'd rather walk." Sansa told him.

"Curfew is in a half hour, even if you get the train you'll never make it."

Petyr reminded her and hated that he was right, so she started to head back to his car.

 

Brune was there waiting and opened the door for Sansa to climb in, who quickly rushed to slide across and sat right up against the door so there was an even larger space between them once Petyr sat down.

 

 

 

As all the cars reversed back, theirs broke away from the rest, to head in the direction of Sansa's apartment.

This car ride felt longer as everyone avoided each other. Sansa kept her eyes focused on Petyr, to look for sudden movement. He kept his face away and was looking out his left side window.

"Lothor stop!" Petyr yelled which made Sansa startle.

When the brakes were slammed on it jerked everyone forward.

The sound of an explosion went off which momentarily deafened and scared all of them, seconds passed before they were surrounded by a dark cloud of smoke.

 

 

 

 (Some of my photos -- the first is the entrance, the second is the courtyard and the third was the lawn behind the shed where some of the people were lined up against the wall)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dickkopf - dickhead
> 
> The place I described is a very real place in Berlin. Plotzensee prison. I visited that place where over 3300 men and women (90% of which, were German citizens) were executed for treason. I walked into those sheds (built of brick and painted over an ugly cream colour) and walked those same paths.  
> I'm not ashamed to admit I cried buckets as I followed their last steps.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and sorry for the long wait, I swear I didn't abandon my work! It's winter here and I got sick. So trying to focus enough to write more than two sentences at a time was hard! 
> 
> But I'm back now and feeling better! Hope you all enjoy this!

 

 

 

 

Once the men got over the ringing in their ears, they both scrambled under their seats for the torches in the boxes stashed there for emergencies.

They were still surrounded in darkness and Sansa startled when lights were shone brightly in her face and looked down at the torch that was suddenly placed in her hand.

Sansa was still struggling with so many events all happening at once but still retained enough of herself to push Petyr back when he tried pushing her out her side door.

"What do you think you are doing?" Sansa demanded and didn't miss Petyr's facial ticks. How he bit into his lip and refused to meet her eyes for a moment, but still managed to overcome his pain quicker than her and spoke.

"We can't stay here, we're sitting ducks - "

"What are you doing?!" Sansa was concerned when Petyr was inching closer and tried extending his arm over her lap.

"The doors are jammed, move both of you!" Lothor interrupted from where he was trying to climb over the seats towards the right side of the car.

 

That got Sansa into gear and quickly turned the handle and instantly regretted opening the door as she tried covering her mouth as the car filled up with smoke and ash.

From the light of her torch, Sansa couldn't see past a few inches in front of her and stood there trying not to let the panic in her rise, knowing she would be of no use if that happened.

Both men came towards her and were holding out what looked to be handkerchiefs and purposely took the one from Lothor's hand to cover her mouth and nose as best she could with it.

As another explosion went off, sirens finally started up and added more unnecessary noise to the mix.

Both men didn't hesitate to cover Sansa, one of them even holding her head down protectively as they all ducked for cover beside the car. They all got shocked when the force from the blast pushed the car. At the first inch of movement, they didn't hesitate to get up and run.

Neither wanting to loose the other, Sansa found herself running with her fist holding tight on the end of Lothor's sleeve with her torch long forgotten and probably smashed somewhere behind them as Petyr clutched onto her free hand tightly.

All three of them slammed into the other when they reached the side of a building and took a moment to gather their bearings.

Feeling around in the dark, Sansa searched desperately for a door or even a window and panicked frantically as they heard yet another explosion.

Petyr must have found an entrance somewhere, for Sansa was suddenly pushed over and landed badly on carpeted ground.

She groaned out in pain from where her head met the floor and sat up slowly as she felt around for lumps on the back of her head.

Satisfied with no immediate bumps and examining her fingers, satisfied she wasn't bleeding either, but most likely going to bruise later, Sansa was instantly annoyed and pissed off.

"What the hell Petyr! ... Petyr?"

Sansa saw his torch lying beside her foot and gingerly picked it up as she searched around for the men and saw no one.

"Herr Brune? ... Petyr?"

Her voice echoed in the empty hallway and clutched at her chest as she tried to calm her accelerated heartrate.

Sansa let at a scream when she heard something smash beside her and with the torchlight leading her, opened the door to investigate.

 

 

Lothor was just swinging his legs in as he climbed through the window and covered his eyes when the light from Sansa's torch went straight in his eyes.

"Fräulein, where's Baelish?"

"I don't know." Sansa answered and followed Lothor back out into the hallway and saw as he did and was shocked at the amount of rubble and debris built up in the entranceway.

"What happened Fräulein?" Lothor asked as he tried the handles of the remaining two doors opposite them.

"I'm not sure... I was searching and all of a sudden I was pushed - Petyr!"

Sansa was racking her brain of the recent memory when it came to her and dropped to her knees as she started frantically digging through the rubble, even using the torch as a spade when her hands weren't fast enough.

"Help me!" Sansa shouted and with Lothor's help they moved some of the heavier objects.

The door from the entranceway had come off its hinges and when Sansa lifted it, she saw Petyr lying face down beneath it. Sansa kept her hold on the door steady as Lothor grasped Petyr's arms and hulled him out.

 

 

Once they were clear of the rubble, Lothor placed him back down and went back to searching all the doors.

"Where are you going?" Sansa could hear the panic in her voice.

"It's not safe here." Lothor said as he kicked in a locked door and poked his head in to have a look.

"Hold his legs." Lothor ordered as he took a hold of Petyr's arms again.

Not knowing what to do with the torch and not wanting to lose it, placed it in her mouth as she grasped Petyr's ankles and followed Lothor through the kicked in door and down a flight of stairs and into a dank cellar.

 

 

Together they gently lowered Petyr down and kept him lying on his stomach.

"Watch him and make sure Baelish doesn't move." Lothor said as he left them alone.

"Where are you going?" Sansa was scared and confused.

"I'll be quick." Lothor's voice was fading but still heard but forgotten when Petyr let out a painful moan.

 

 

Petyr was trying to speak with barely any sound, but Sansa could just make out the word he was trying to say, her name.

"I'm here." Sansa said as she sat down on the ground and was surprised at how dry it was and not in the least bit damp, or dank as she'd first thought.

 

His left hand was moving and reaching out as he searched for her as his right arm remained straight by his side.

Fingertips almost touched hers and Sansa pulled back at the last second, not willingly wanting his touch, till he tried saying her name again and failing miserably.

With the torchlight Sansa examined Petyr with her eyes and took in the layer of dust and ash covering him and saw he still couldn't open his eyes, but his lids were moving frantically, showing rapid eye movement.

The arm by Petyr's side, Sansa thought he was lying on, was in fact pinned down by something shiny sticking up near his shoulder.

Thinking it was nothing, Sansa leant over to push it aside. Her fingers grasped the object and tugged on it slightly and stopped when Petyr screamed out in pain.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Sansa quickly fired off when she realised her tugging had moved the metal object piecing his shoulder and caused a fresh wave of blood to ooze out from the wound.

"What can I do?" Sansa asked and bent lower when she couldn't make out his words.

Her ear was by his mouth and faintly heard him repeat over and over, "don't leave me."

 

 

Sansa lost track of time as she sat beside Petyr and wasn't aware she was drifting off, or of the fingers grazing her pants leg when Lothor came barrelling down the stairs, alerting her and made herself sit up straighter.

"What's all this?" Sansa asked as Lothor dumped his load on the floor.

"Supplies." He said as he held up a pair of scissors and went to work cutting through Petyr's coat.

 

 

The hesitation from earlier vanished when Lothor ordered her to take Petyr's hand as they prepared to pull out the scrap of metal.

"On the count of three... on - now!"

Lothor didn't get past the count of one and got to work stitching Petyr's shoulder with a needle and thread as Petyr became more lively as he screamed out in pain again and squeezing Sansa's hand tightly.

 

 

Once it was over Lothor moved back into a corner and washed his hands from the bottle of water before offering it to Sansa to do the same.

With the damp cloth Sansa had in hand and wiping everything away, Lothor pulled out a bottle of vodka and seemingly chugged mouthfuls down.

 

When he offered the bottle to Sansa, she shook her head, refusing to have alcohol for the first time in a situation like this.

"How well do you know Petyr?" Looking down at said man, who had long since passed out from the pain a while ago, jumped at the opportunity to find out more about him.

"As much as anyone else, I suppose." Lothor said as Sansa took the cloth and gently wiped down the dirt from Petyr's face, revealing some abrasions across his cheeks.

"Not a lot is known. I know he's from a small-town... Maul?... Meißen?... Mölln! That's it, Mölln. Like many others, a lot was lost from the great war. Documents, birth and death certificates and the such, myself included. Even lost my family photos... can't even remember what my parents look like anymore... Baelish was a soldier, worked his way up."

Lothor rattled off a lot more than Sansa thought he would, and thanked the man for getting drunk.

 

"How long have you worked for him?" Sansa asked.

"About three or four years now."

"Has he ever been married?"

Lothor laughed, finding what she asked more than amusing. "Thought the man a queer for years. Never seen him so much as look at another woman, till he saw you." Lothor said and drank some more.

 

 

"Tell me something." Lothor said.

"Like what?" Sansa asked after the strange request.

"Don't know. A story? Where you grew up? Something?" He pleaded for a distraction from the events unfolding outside, and above them.

"I always thought my house was a castle when I was young... We had a garden that covered and surrounded our house beautifully. Every chance I had, I was out there. Climbing the fruit trees, reading under the shade or even just running around the flowers because I thought they looked pretty. I remember I used to sketch in a book my father gave me. I'd spend hours drawing a flower or a pretty bird that would join me in the trees. I remember my mum loved the one I drew of a fox that had snuck its way under the fence. I was most proud of that, when mum pinned it to the fridge..."

Sansa trailed off when she saw Lothor had fallen into a drunken sleep, clutching the almost empty bottle close to his chest.

 

 

Sansa though, stayed awake until the early hours of the morning, long past the point when the lights from the torches died out.

Too many conflicting emotions and feelings kept her mind occupied.

_How could she work for a man who killed men in cold blood but less than an hour later risked his life to save her?_

Could she really keep up this façade or should she call it a day and ask to go back home to England?

She wanted to, more than _anything_.

But she was on her own, had been from the moment she lost her family.

A part of her had wished she had been as smart as Arya and just ran off, instead of listening to Jon's words and hoping she'd find sanctuary at the British consulate.

From the moment she stepped through those doors, they had no intention of returning her to England, no matter how many times she'd pleaded and begged them.

She didn't know if she wanted to keep fighting anymore, Davos even said she was now on her own.

But where did that leave her?

She was still stuck here.

It was just pure luck she saw a discarded paper lying on a bench somewhere near the Siegessaule, which she just happened to notice a room to rent in her price range.

 _Luck_ she met the most sweetest neighbours she could have ever hoped for.

 _Luck_ that she was now looking over two killers who had helped her more in the short amount of time she'd had known them, more so, then her own people.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Siegessaule - victory column 
> 
> Maul, Meißen and Mölln are all towns in Germany.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back, enjoy!

 

 

 

Sansa woke up shivering and with a bad case of neck and back pain.

For those first few seconds when she first opened her eyes, her sleep addled brain thought she had gone blind. That was till she remembered the night before, the explosions and hiding in a cellar.

A very dark cellar with unforgiving cement floors, that were the most uncomfortable place to fall asleep. It shouldn't've been a surprise to her, but it was when she felt a hand just resting on her stomach as she remembered falling asleep with Petyr close by.

 

 

Pulling out the torch from her pocket, Sansa looked around to see Lothor still slumped over and snoring slightly and Petyr watching her through groggy eyes.

"Does it still hurt?" Sansa asked quietly, "can you move at all?"

"Hurts when I move." Petyr rasped out.

Sansa chose that moment to move herself and sat up against the wall and decided to not draw attention to Petyr's hand that now resided on her thigh, she looked down to see Petyr still watching her and hesitated for just a moment.

"Thank you for saving my life."

"Du bist sehr willkommen," he whispered as he moved his hand away from her and brought it in close to his chest.

 

 

The silence stretched out and was made worse by the fact that Sansa couldn't bring herself to look at him again, nor rack her brain of a possible subject for inane chit chat to make them feel less awkward.

Sansa was eventually saved by Lothor coming to with a grunt of complaint and sat up to see both her and Petyr watching him. Lothor looked at his watch in the dim light, stood up and started stretching out all his limbs.

"Right, now Baelish this might hurt." Lothor said as he approached them.

"What will? Brune what are you planning?" Petyr's voice held a warning which was ignored. "Don't come any closer, don't you dare touch me!"

Petyr was ignored again and he screamed out in pain when the stitches tugged painfully as Lothor manhandled him to his feet.

"Fick dich!"

Petyr shouted and pushed him away with his good arm and smoothed out what was left of his shirt as he kept his right arm close to his chest.

"And thanks." Petyr uttered under his breath as an after-thought.

 

"Time to get moving, Fräulein." Lothor offered his hand which Sansa accepted as he helped her to her feet.

Lothor retrieved his torch and pocketed it, as well as taking a few other things from his corner and stashed them before they all headed out.

Once they were free from the dark cellar they all took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the sun bleeding through all the windows.

 

Petyr was slow behind them and took a moment when he saw the amount of rubble he had been pinned under the night before.

Fingers curled around some of his and he looked down to see Sansa tugging on his hand for him to follow. With Sansa's help, he managed to stay stable on his feet as they walked through all the mess on the floors.

Lothor lead them away from the front and through a kitchen of the empty house that lead to a back door and into a small garden.

"How did we not come across anyone?" Sansa asked either one of them.

"Abandoned, the place had been ransacked before we'd even shown up."

Lothor answered her and directed them through a side gate and down a small narrow dirt path that lead back to the main road.

 

The street wasn't holding up much better and they navigated through and saw toppled buildings and more than a few cars had been toppled over and even crushed.

 

 

 

It felt like they had been walking for miles, but Sansa was probably exaggerating, but she was tired, thirsty and hungry. They had long since passed residential areas and headed through scrublands, which felt like forever.

Petyr wasn't fairing much better and looked extremely pale, but was as silent as a mouse and didn't voice a single complaint. Even when he'd slowed down or even came to a complete stop a few times when the pain was too much, still not a single word.

 

 

 

They were walking along a long stretch of road, buildings on one side and grass and shrubs lining the other, and for a moment Sansa thought she could hear singing as she looked around.

Petyr pointed out his finger for Sansa to see a group of people sitting up ahead of them on the grass. As they got closer Sansa could hear them more clearly and it was in a language she'd never heard before.

_"What is that?"_

Sansa didn't know she had even spoken as she thought for just a moment she'd heard that tune before, but didn't know how that was at all possible.

"Kaddish prayer." Petyr said.

Sansa almost cracked her neck at how fast she snapped her neck to look at him. "What's that?"

"A Jewish prayer for the dead." Petyr answered her, "surely you know how many Jewish people the Nazi's come across daily."

 

 

Sansa looked at the families living on the side of the road and their merger belongings fit in tiny wheelbarrows.

Her eyes watered and tears fell, when the children hid behind their parents in fright and every single one of them lowered their eyes and wouldn't look as Lothor, Petyr and Sansa walked past them.

 

 

 

The surroundings were starting to look familiar and Sansa knew if they turned left at the next street, that would lead them back to Plotzensee.

They went straight for a few more metres and the train station came into view once they passed over the hill.

Sansa's whole demeanour screamed relief and Petyr gave her a side smirk, like he knew where Lothor had been leading them the whole time.

 

 

After a ten minute train ride and a seven minute bus ride, they were back at Petyr's house in just under twenty minutes.

Lena come rushing over when she heard the door open and was about to reprimand them when she saw the state they were in and came over to help Petyr up the stairs and into a bath.

Sansa chose to follow Lothor and together they devoured the food left out from what Lena had cooked and ready on the table.

 

 

 

Once Sansa had washed and dressed in a dress Lena had produced from somewhere and fit Sansa like a glove, she made her way through the familiar halls and into Petyr's office where he was finishing up a phone call.

"... sure Varys... no, that's not what I meant... right, I need to go."

And just like that, he hung up on him and stood from his chair and picked up a piece of paper as he stepped from the desk to hand it over to Sansa.

"What's this?" She asked as her eyes skimmed over the document.

"A reference, you won't ever have to worry about finding any more work."

"You're firing me?"

Sansa was shocked and saw Petyr's eyes boring into hers.

"No."

"Then... ?" Sansa let the rest of her question hang in the air between them.

"I don't think you fully grasped what it entailed to work for someone like _me_. Take some time to think about it."

 

Petyr dismissed her as he went back behind his desk and flipped open a file and went about his work like she wasn't still standing there dumbstruck.

 

 

 

Sansa never left the room and sat on the sofa as she took the time to examine Petyr as he continued working.

The man seemed pained, not just from his shoulder which would still be bothering him, but from life.

She saw a man who worked hard and long, who never seemed to relax.

The more times she visited his house, she came to realise it spoke very loudly of him. No family photos, no personal touches, no artwork, all very clean and meticulous... all for show.

 

Petyr was back in his uniform looking clean and not without a single hair out of place.

His short hair combed and held back with some kind of hair-gel product and his goatee short and trimmed to look neat, cheeks freshly shaved with not a single piece of scruff in sight.

What was he hiding underneath his façade?

Who was the real man he kept carefully hidden?

How was that any different from her though, what does her tiny apartment say about the real her? Or the clothes she's wears?

 

_Nothing._

 

Would she even like the real Petyr or is what she'd seen so far all there is?

But whether he realised it or not, this man had given her what no one else ever did, a choice.

It was now up to her if she wanted to stay or make a real run for it.

Petyr had make it very easy for her, the generous pay checks and the amount of money she had been able to save would make it more than easy to purchase a one-way ticket out the country.

Davos even said there was to be no contact, she could be half way across the country before anyone could figure it out.

 

_No one would miss her._

 

Now she really was lying to herself, Sansa could count the people on one hand who would.

Anita and Manfred most certainly would. Maybe even Christensen, but she would easily forget her in a few months without any daily visits... and then there was Petyr.

 

 

 

It took her longer than expected to realise he hadn't been working at all and in fact the opened file had not moved once. Nor a single page turned, the man was waiting to be rejected.

"I'm not going anywhere."

She spoke before her brain could catch up with her mouth and saw the surprise in Petyr's face before he masked it as he looked up at her.

"Alright then, but first..."

"Yes?"

"You're from Lübeck?" Petyr asked which had Sansa instantly on high alert.

"Yes."

She made a mental note to not hesitate in answering, remembering the lessons with Davos, to make it seem like a genuine memory and not something she was trying to remember a false memory.

"May I ask how it was possible to grow fruit trees there? When I know for a fact the soil has one of the highest salt contents in the country."

Petyr's questioning was now scaring her, Sansa knew she had to be very careful of how this could play out. Picturing the tiniest misstep from her own part and he'd miraculously get up from the chair, pain in his should be damned and strangle her himself.

"How do you know?" Sansa asked flippantly as she made sure her hands weren't shaking.

"I've been there, once or twice in my youth."

Sansa thought fast before answering, "my father loved gardening and worked tirelessly for years."

"File said he was a salesman." Petyr now seemed more alert too.

"He _was_. Worked along side Opa Schmitz from a young age... why?" Sansa now really hoped her eyes weren't giving her away and made sure to not be the first to break eye contact either.

When Petyr blinked slowly and seemly looked down and examined his hands, Sansa couldn't see his face which meant he couldn't see hers, she was internally relieved about it.

 

"I'm curious Sansa, how did you come to Berlin? Was it train or bus?" Petyr asked as he looked back at her again.

Now she knew for a fact that Petyr was drilling her and this was a question she was ready for.

"Bus, we both know there are no train stations in Lübeck."

Her eyes twinkled as Petyr smirked at her. "And during this long and I'm assuming here - very boring bus ride, did you ever pass any towns with any lakes?"

Petyr's question was very strange and not at all what she had been expecting, Sansa was sure she even looked confused.

"Not once." She answered, she even remembered looking over maps of the country with Davos very clearly and they both didn't see any places that would have any lakes. "Why are you asking?"

"Because I want to know more about the woman I almost died for." Petyr said honesty.

"Okay then... how about a question for a question?" Sansa asked and Petyr's smirk was more pronounced.

"I've asked so many, you go ahead." Petyr answered and waited as Sansa thought about what she wanted to ask.

 

"What's Mölln like?"

"Small and old." He said as his eyes glazed over like he could picture his hometown in front of his eyes.

 

"Tell me Sansa, are you religious?" He asked once he recovered.

"Yes." Sansa was honest.

"And?" Petyr leant forward and rested his head on his hand.

 _Protestant_ was on the tip of her tongue and she was about to say Lutheran, which was almost the German equivalent.

"Catholic." Slipped out without her consent.

Petyr smiled as his eyes blazed at her.

"And yourself?" Sansa asked curiously.

"If asked under oath, Catholic." Petyr said and when he gave her a wink Sansa's cheeks felt hot, each knowing they both were clearly lying.

 

"Before the war, what did you want to be when you grew up?" Now that was a loaded question and Petyr took some time before he answered.

 

 

 

With only one working arm, Petyr was still working well into the night and briefly looked up at Sansa who had long fallen asleep on the sofa.

Petyr couldn't bring himself to move her and had placed a blanket over her, which she happened to be clutching to herself tightly with both hands.

 

Just as he was about to turn the light off in his office and head upstairs to bed, his phone starting ringing and he was quick to pick up so it wouldn't disturb Sansa.

"Baelish it's good to hear you're still alive, if not for some miner injures." Tywin was completely ingenuous and spoke before Petyr had a chance to speak, "Dietrich informed us all earlier of the incident. Now our meeting has been pushed to tomorrow and it's mandatory for you and Schmitz."

"Why so soon?" Petyr asked.

"We've uncovered the spy in our ranks."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Du bist sehr willkommen - you are very welcome  
> Fick dich - fuck you  
> Opa - grandad


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :) enjoy!

 

 

 

"What did _I_ want to be when I grew up? I don't remember except what I _wanted_."

Petyr put more thought into his answer then Sansa thought he would, which she appreciated.

"And what did you want?" Sansa couldn't resist asking.

" _Love_. A big family with lots of children and a house so large it was the envy of every man who would lay eyes upon it. A job that made me rich enough that I'd never have the same arguments over money I overheard my parents struggling with daily." Petyr seemed whimsical.

"Your family was poor?"

"This surprises you - _Miss, I lived in a house so large I thought it was castle_?" Petyr teased her.

Sansa didn't know how to respond to that and giggled awkwardly.

"And what about yourself? What did little Sansa want?" He turned it around and asked her.

"A large house by the ocean where it's always warm." She replied honestly.

"Why the ocean?" Petyr couldn't keep his eyes off Sansa as a secret smile bloomed and made her look more radiant.

Sansa's childhood memories were rushing forth and there wasn't a thing that she do to stop them, "I never got to see the ocean, we lived so far away from it."

 

 

 

Sansa leant her head on the armrest of the sofa and curled up on her side. The sound of Petyr typing one-handed, a soothing backdrop to her tired mind as their last conversation echoed as she fell asleep.

 

 

 

* * *

 

The morning sun was warm and pleasant on her face, the cream shades keeping the harshest rays off her face, with the tangy smell of saltwater coming through the open window with a gentle breeze.

Sansa was lying on a big soft bed and never felt more at peace with the thinnest nightie on and a thin sheet covering her.

The cover of the shades made it easy for Sansa to stay and rest without the blaring sun making her wish to turn over away from the window.

She still dozed off lightly and was soon disturbed by little bodies jumping on her bed making her bounce and move about, while they tried to cover their giggles terribly.

"Time to get up!"

Their sweet girlish voices ordered her, with their little English accents mimicking Sansa's when she was at that age. Sansa smiled and continued to feign sleep.

"It's not working." One of them pouted as the jumping stopped suddenly.

A pair of strong arms enveloped Sansa in a protective embrace, felt his tickling facial hair and the fresh smell of mint as he kissed her neck before whispering in her ear, "our daughters are demanding our presence, meine Geliebte."

 

* * *

 

 

 

Sansa sat up and woke with a shocked gasp which startled Petyr, who looked to be furiously sifting through his desk drawers.

"Bad dream?"

Petyr asked as he dropped what he'd been looking for on his desk, he looked up when she didn't speak and Sansa gave a noncommittal response and blushed when their eyes connected briefly.

 

Sansa rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stretched as she stood up, before it finally came to her attention, Petyr was rushing around his office and looking the most dishevelled she ever seen him.

Petyr looked to not have a lick of sleep, with deep circles under his haunted eyes. His hair looked like he'd brushed his hands through it more than a few times and looked to be curling at the ends.

"I didn't know you had curly hair." Sansa couldn't let that one fact go for some reason and got the strangest reaction from him.

Petyr's hands reached up to flatten his hair as he muttered _'damn!'_ under his breath. He stepped from his desk, came straight towards her and grasped her arms.

"Lena must have breakfast ready by now, go eat while I wash."

He refused to release her till she gave a nod of acknowledgement first. Sansa walked out as she saw Petyr rush away again.

 

 

 

Sansa was nibbling on some toast and finishing off her cup of coffee when Petyr came in and went straight for the coffee pot, looking like his well put-together self again. Hair looked slick back again and his uniform freshly iron-pressed.

"Have you eaten enough? We've got a meeting at eleven, so we'll miss lunch. _Eat_."

Petyr still didn't seem himself when he spoke and Sansa couldn't let it go now, "what's going on? Is something wrong?"

Petyr swallowed his coffee in two big gulps, "nothing. No, nothing's wrong. Feel free to wash up while I speak to Brune about something." He hastened as he checked the time on his watch and left the room just as quickly as he'd entered.

 

 

 

Sansa was coming out of the bathroom and with the weather warming up outside, she was dressed comfortably in another dress, this one was a nice green and sleeves to her elbows.

As she made her way down the staircase, Sansa heard Petyr again, he was talking to Lena this time in hushed tones.

"If _that_ happens, promise me you'll give this to Sansa."

He handed Lena a sealed envelope.

"Of course, Herr Baelish."

Lena hid it behind her back when the both became aware of Sansa walking towards them as Lothor came rushing from the garage and addressed Petyr directly.

"It's done."

"And you will - "

Petyr started and Lothor cut him off with a hard look, "I _will_."

Petyr checked the time again while Lena and Lothor headed off in different directions.

"What's going on?" Sansa had finally had enough with everyone.

 

 

 

Petyr took her arm and lead her to his office and made sure to close the door before turning to her.

"We've got another meeting with the Lannister's." Petyr said as he came closer, "now remember you be strong. Don't let them know what you're thinking. Stay close to myself and Brune."

Sansa searched his eyes and saw anguish and pain looking back.

"What's wrong? _Tell me_." She pleaded.

Petyr raised his left hand and his thumb caressed her cheekbone softly before he came closer, waiting for the moment she would draw back.

When Sansa remained in place, he breached the small gap between them and kissed her other cheek.

Petyr's lips lingered for a few seconds more before he stepped back like he needed to distance himself quickly, like ripping off a Band-Aid fast.

"Brune will keep you safe."

 

 

 

The car ride was deathly silent as Lothor drove them towards the Führer's headquarters.

Petyr kept a constant eye on his watch and his window, he couldn't bring himself to look in Sansa's direction once. Lothor would give small grunts when Sansa tried to engage him in conversation and gave up after the second attempt.

 

 

 

Once they arrived the pain in Petyr's shoulder was becoming noticeable when he struggled to get out of the car himself. He refused Sansa's help and approached Lothor, who handed him some pills which Petyr swallowed dry.

His right hand wasn't in a brace or a sling, he kept his thumb hooked in his belt and used his left arm to escort Sansa inside the building.

 

 

Varys and his secretary were the first to greet them in the corridor and as Sally and Sansa got into a light discussion, Sansa seemed the only one to notice when the colour drained from Petyr's face when Varys whispered something in his ear.

 

 

Petyr's hand was at the small of Sansa's back when the double doors opened and everyone went inside the large conference room.

Tywin and Cersei were talking with Joffrey and blocking someone seated, as they crowded him.

Sansa saw many other officers lining the room as well.

Everyone there looked hardened and Sansa was one of five women standing amongst the group.

Petyr leant in and whispered once more to her, "be strong."

When everyone stepped back and made a circle around the walls of the room, leaving the table bare in the centre, Sansa felt like Petyr earlier as she saw the man himself, Goebbels was sitting on a lone chair in the far corner to observe them all.

Sansa didn't know he was back from France, and from Petyr's reaction back in the hall neither did he.

 

 

 

When Tywin stepped forward and raised a hand the whole room went silent and every conversation stopped.

"Fräulein Schmitz, step forward." He demanded.

Sansa hesitated but the hand at her back gave her a supportive squeeze and she did as instructed and came face to face with Tywin.

 

He held a folder in his hand containing multiple documents and flipped through them till he found the one he was after.

"This is your first and last warning for your misconduct on August the fifth, do you know the incident of which I speak?"

"Not really, Sir." Sansa said meekly and was deeply afraid with everyone watching her.

"You ran from armed guards, does this ring any bells?" Tywin asked.

"Yes, Sir."

"If it happens again, you will be shot and nothing Baelish says will save you. Is that understood."

It wasn't a question but Sansa still nodded anyway, "Yes, Sir. It won't happen again."

"That will be all."

Sansa breathed a sigh of relief with Tywin's dismissal and rushed back to Petyr's side.

 

 

When fingers wrapped around her hand, she didn't protest in the least with her whole body shaking, instead she tightened her hold in Petyr's for comfort.

 

Tywin flipped through his papers again and walked along the room and lingered in front of everyone as he did a full circuit before he stopped and spoke again.

"Jaime and _Tyrion_ , we congratulate you on your quick work in finding Sasha Avilov and Luka Vinokurov, who tried and failed to blow up Goebbels and his men a few months ago."

Tywin uttered Tyrion's name with disgust that wasn't ignored by anyone, including Cersei, who couldn't contain her smirk towards her little brother, feeling prideful that their father still couldn't hide his true feelings in a room full of people.

 

Tywin kept his face in his notes and made his way closer to where Sansa stood with Petyr.

"Baelish we congratulate you on your fast work tracking down Nikita Bobvinsky and Lev Grushanin, the Russian officers responsible for the surprise attack on the church."

Tywin's voice travelled throughout the room. "The Führer agrees that a public demonstration would be most ideal for these four men. To send a strong message to our enemies, preparations have already been made."

 

 

Sansa's fingers tightened with Petyr's when Tywin's gaze lingered longer on her then was comfortable. His fingers squeezed back and felt them trembling, but that could just as easily of been her.

 

"Now for the _reason_ you've all been called here. Joffrey play the recording." Tywin ordered and all eyes watched as Joffrey came to the table in the centre of the room and made sure the device was in working order before he pressed the play button.

 

Petyr was trying to take careful steps back and his tight hold on Sansa brought her along with him, as soon as Tywin walked away, they were two steps from the main doors when they heard the whole recording.

 

_**'Ja?'** _

 

Sansa froze at the familiar voice coming through the speaker and ignored the urgent tugging on her hand.

 

**_'Yorkshire tea.'_ **

 

Sansa eventually moved backwards when an arm wrapped around her waist and physically moved her.

 

_**'One moment.'** _

_**'Password?'** _

_**'Wakefield isn't a mining town.'** _

 

Lothor's hand was on the door and had just opened it the barest inch when they heard the man's voice continue.

 

_**'Sally? I haven't heard from you for weeks.'**_

_**'I know. _ **I got a new job working for Varys Dietrich who's directly under Joseph Goebbels.'** _** _

_**'That's excellent, just the type of thing we'd been hoping for. Now you'll need to wait for more instructions, in the meantime learn and get close.'** _

 

Sansa turned to Petyr in shock hearing _Sally_ instead of her own voice and turned to see Petyr looking just as mystified as herself as they stood by the entrance.

 

 

Joffrey paused the recording as instructed and two men standing behind Varys grabbed Sally's arms and dragged her into the centre of the room.

The woman was stunned and too shocked to speak, it took but moments for everyone to witness the moment it finally registered with the poor woman, when she started crying and protesting profusely.

"That's not me! I've been set up, I swear it! Herr Dietrich, you know me! I would never do this!"

Varys stood with his arms crossed over his stomach and looked just as hardened as every other man in the room, like her pleas and crying meant nothing.

 

"It was a nice trick, you almost had us all fooled." Tywin said and gave the order to Joffrey for the second recording.

 

_**'Yorkshire tea.'** _

_**'Why are you calling me? Not to worry I've made sure this line is untraceable, have you finally made a decision?'** _

_**'Yes. I want to help take out Goebbels.'** _

 

"Is that not your voice, Frau Müller?" Tywin demanded the scared woman.

"It _is_ , but I've never said those things! Please tell them Herr Dietrich?" Sally was getting more panicked and struggling in the men's hold when Varys refused to move, "This doesn't make any _sense_!"

"I'd almost commend you trying to setup Fräulein Schmitz the way you did. We even moved on that information, but if it wasn't for the real recordings being discovered, an innocent woman would be standing here instead."

 

Sansa was confused and afraid at the mention of them _acting_ on the information, what did Tywin mean by that? She wondered to herself.

 

"But I am _innocent_!" Sally pleaded to everyone.

"Baelish, step forward." Tywin ordered.

Petyr looked at Brune who stepped up behind Sansa and closed the door when he released the handle from his hold, as Petyr complied and stood beside Tywin.

 

 

Tywin grasped Petyr's hand and slapped a gun on his open palm.

"Shoot her."

The order was received with many gasps and a hysteric Sally who screamed and found a new wind and struggled in the men's grip again, even managing to kick one of them to no affect.

 

Petyr grasped the gun properly in his left hand and slowly pointed the weapon at the crying woman's head.

Tywin stepped right behind Petyr and whispered for Petyr's ears only. "My men don't take orders from _you_. If you don't get that girl in line you'll be joining Frau Müller."

 

 

 

Sansa felt Lothor standing behind her, protecting her, as she watched Petyr hold the gun in his good arm and his pained eyes found hers when Tywin spoke so quietly she couldn't make out any of it.

Petyr's eyes were pleading for Sansa to close her eyes or look anywhere else so she wouldn't have to witness what was about to occur.

She'd never seen Petyr so desperate, but Sansa _couldn't,_ she refused to turn away.

This wasn't just about her punishment anymore, this was _her_ fault.

Petyr and Sally were both being dragged into this and made to suffer instead of her. All for her mess, her foolishness, her mistakes.

Sansa should've known phone lines were being tapped, it was even more foolish of her to use Petyr's own phone in his home office.

It would be a disservice to their sacrifice if Sansa looked away now.

 

She could and would be strong for the both of them, she turned her gaze back to Petyr offering him strength and saw when it had the desired effect.

Petyr squared his shoulders and hardened his eyes for _her_ as he turned to the woman now kneeling on the floor. He inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled as he pulled the trigger.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> meine Geliebte - my love


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sooo sorry! Firstly my brothers highjack's all my time to binge-watch Luke Cage and Legion S2 (BOTH shows endings, BIG disappoints and a waste of my time! Don't hate me, it's only MY opinion!) Then the fanfic 'BIG' was a huge *wink* (HAHA pun!) distraction! I finished off another of my stories that was eating away at me and started another and then... BAM! Over a week has passed!
> 
> Sorry again for the long wait, enjoy!

 

 

 

Before some low level soldiers could step forward and drag Sally's lifeless body from the room, everyone disbanded and heading off in all different directions.

Petyr and Lothor flanked either side of Sansa as they made their way through the busy building and escorted her back to the car, where they saw Varys was leaning against one of the doors as he examined his cuticles as he waited for them.

"Get off the car Dietrich." Petyr said flippantly as he unlocked his door and held it open for Sansa to climb in.

"Seeing as they impounded my car for evidence and you left me one secretary short, I didn't see it as a problem."

"Get in." Petyr sounded threatening as he ordered Varys, who climbed in the front beside Lothor with a smug smile gracing his lips.

"Head straight to the office." Varys ordered Lothor who looked back at Petyr through the rear-view mirror and didn't start the car till Petyr gave him a nod.

 

 

 

Sansa felt like this was to be another awkward car ride while everyone sat rigidly in their seats, and was about to open her mouth to cut the tension, but was stopped and stared round-eyed at Petyr when his hand cupped her bare knee tenderly where the end of her dress had ridden up slightly exposing half of her thighs.

 

It wasn't until they almost reached their destination that she became aware of her body quivering and the sensation of his hand still on her knee and fingers becoming more daringly bold, had started wandering and exploring the new terrain.

 

She was getting warmer, reaching almost scolding levels where Petyr's hand still resided on her knee and blushed profusely and wondered if she'd bother anyone else if she suddenly lowered the window all the way down, needing the blast of cool rushing air upon her face.

Sansa kept a constant vigilance out her window, hoping her reflection didn't broadcast her beet-red face and bit her tongue to hold in the moan when she felt Petyr caress a particularly sensitive area just under her knee.

To Sansa's own amazement she successfully managed to hold in another moan as everyone jolted in their seats as the car came to a complete stop when Lothor slammed his foot on the brakes more harshly then needed.

 

Sansa squeezed her eyes closed tight when she felt Petyr give her knee a final squeeze and swiftly moved his hand away from her as he climbed out the car leaving Sansa to shakily grasp the doorhandle and try to find stability on her feet.

 

 

 

The men lead the way to their offices on the top floor and all stopped when they were beaten there by Goebbels and his men. All standing around the desk that was no longer Sally's.

Sansa felt like all the air had suddenly left the room and was barely conscious of everyone warmly greeting one another.

Pats on backs and hand shakes among the gathered group and Sansa faintly made out the sound of Petyr and Varys coming over, introducing her to the Joseph himself.

 

She could vaguely recall voicing a small somewhat polite greeting, but it could've been her imagination. But the feeling of the man taking her hand to shake wasn't false, that was real and it really was happening.

Sansa felt more than disgusted, worse than revulsion, the true feeling she was trying to describe wouldn't come.

There wasn't a word strong enough in the English, German or any known human language, to even come close to how she really felt when the man thought he was either being a charmer or even worse, a gentleman and went to place a nauseous kiss to her hand but was stopped when Varys demanded they go through and start the meeting.

She felt like she could kiss Varys right smack on the lips for stopping that from happening, she was that grateful to him.

 

Sansa stood rooted to the spot and when Joseph suddenly dropped her hand and agreed with Varys, starting the lead and headed in the direction of Varys office.

She couldn't even bring herself to wipe his germs off on her dress from that horrendous handshake, she wouldn't dishonour her dress that way and kept her arm slightly away from her body.

 

 

 

Just when she thought her day couldn't get any worse, Petyr was still going around the room and was greeted by a truly beautiful woman, one so gorgeous even the straightest of women could admit it.

Sansa forgot about everything else as she watched as if in slow motion and wanted nothing more than to smash in that woman's face, see it bloodied and bruised till it no longer resembled something men would find attractive.

That _whore_ went right into Petyr's personal space, thinking for a second they were going to hug, _but no_ , she saw them both kiss each other cheeks like they'd been doing it for years.

Petyr kept _her_ close to his side with his arm around _her_. Petyr looked around the room like he just remembered Sansa was even there and addressed her _finally_.

"Fräulein Schmitz," _so she was no longer Sansa_ , "this is the wonderful, Fräulein Tyrell... or is it Frau Baratheon now?"

Sansa's eyes squinted, noticing the smile he had when they first greeted each other was still there, even when she giggled and pathetically turned to muffle the sound in Petyr's injured shoulder.

"It's Frau, but Margaery will do just fine."

 

_How about Schlampe? Who should leave and stay with her own pig of a husband!_

The smile Sansa flashed Margaery when she lifted her head off Petyr's shoulder was the best she could muster, but knew she looked completely insincere.

Not wanting to seem too rude, she offered out her dirtied hand for Margaery to shake, and like before she felt disgusted when the woman accepted her offered hand.

 

 

 

Sansa kept that same smile plastered on her face right up until the moment they all filed through the office doors and watched as they closed, leaving Sansa standing out in the outer offices alone.

Their voices carried through and made eavesdropping very simple, and heard when they started off by talking about the bombing that had just occurred.

Listening intently to the areas and streets had been most affected and couldn't believe the two most heavily targeted areas were Charlottenburg and Spandau.

 _OH NO!_ Charlottenburg housed the English consulate and she lived in the suburb of Spandau, _is that what Tywin meant when he told Sally they had moved on the information?_

_Was everyone dead?_

Sansa let out great big gasping breaths as she tried to stop hyperventilating. Panic was setting in and she'd barely been able to control it as she rushed towards the bathroom as fast as she could just before the first tear fell.

 

 

 

Too many strong emotions bombarded her at once, it was the worst time to be remembering the feel of pure hatred for a woman she had no previous knowledge of, even though the extreme nature of it scared her.

Sansa had never felt anything like that before, _was it jealously?_ It couldn't be, must be something else she'd not thought of yet.

People she cared for and people she was relying on, to keep her safe could be dead and now that was haunting her. _Please no. Please God no, don't let them be dead._

She pleaded and prayed as she dropped on the tiles not realising she was weeping.

 

 

 

The door to the bathroom was being rattled, which alerted Sansa in a heartbeat as she rushed to the nearest stall and swung the door closed just as the main door opened.

She looked through the small gap between it and the wall, and saw it to be Margaery looking at herself in the mirror to reapply her slutty red lipstick. To match perfectly her red coloured nails.

 

"Have you drowned?"

 

Sansa startled when _her_ voice bounced off the tiles and quickly tore off a wad of toilet paper to dry her eyes as she found her own voice.

"No!"

When she felt herself presentable she flushed the paper and stepped out of the stall and came towards the only free basin beside _her._

 

Margaery was now dabbing some more perfume to her neck as Sansa washed her hands and found the smell overbearing. The overly used perfume was too much on the sweet side for her own tastes.

"Don't be too long, we don't want to leave the men waiting." Margaery winked at her through the refection in the mirror and breezed out as quickly as she had entered.

 

 

 

"So what do we think gentlemen? Right before Christmas for the big unveiling?" Joseph asked Varys and Petyr as everyone gathered in the foyer.

"Won't that coincide with the Führer's big party?" Varys asked.

"It shouldn't be a problem." Petyr said at the same time Varys spoke.

"Have some faith, Varys. We'll make it work." Joseph told him with a clap to his back and gave a hand gesture for his people to move out.

 

Sansa came out to the conversation and stood to the side, out of their way and saw as they all left except for _Margaery_.

"Come this way my dear." Varys said as he escorted her into his office leaving Sansa alone with Petyr for the first time all day.

 

"Brune." Petyr yelled and less than a minute later the man in question came from behind a door. "We're leaving."

Lothor gave a nod of acknowledgement and walked away without further instruction.

Petyr stepped into his own office only for him to make a quick return and walked right past Sansa before she could open her mouth, and he left without a word to her and down the flight of stairs.

Not knowing what else to do, Sansa made her way over to her desk and as she took to her seat Lothor seemed to have snuck up behind her without making a sound and tugged gently on her arm to escort her down.

 

 

 

In the car Petyr wasn't making a sound nor did he seem to be breathing, not wanting to admit she was feeling concerned she was just about to check his pulse, when his hand raised and seized her wrist.

He lowered his hand till his fingers entwined with hers and left them to rest on the seat between them.

Sansa couldn't bring herself to look away and noticed every time the car hit a bump or jerked them around, his hand would tighten in her hold for just a moment, but still enough for her to notice every time.

 

 

 

Their hands stayed entwined when they arrived and as they awkwardly maneuvered out the car and through his home, up the stairs and away from a concerned looking Lena, who watched on in the foyer as they headed straight for his bedroom and closed the door from anymore lurking eyes.

 

Once they were alone Petyr dropped her hand and turned and presented his back to her.

"Will you help me?"

Sansa didn't know what he was thinking, that was probably the reason he had turned away and didn't know if he was being literal or general.

But as he seemed to be struggling with his coat, Sansa rushed to help him out of it and gasped when she saw the amount of blood seeping through his white shirt.

"Have the stiches come out? Should I get Lothor?"

"No need, I just need a fresh bandage." Petyr was quick to put Sansa's mind at ease.

Seeing all the extra pads and bandages on his bedside dresser, she made Petyr sit on the end of his bed.

 

Only when she saw the state of his back, she rushed from the room and quickly returned with damp washcloths to wipe away the extra blood before peeling away the old, soiled bandage.

The tape holding it up tugged painfully, making Petyr hiss out under his breath, but remained still for Sansa to work.

The new bandage was applied and Petyr found out Sansa could be just as stubborn as him and wouldn't let him rise. "Where are your pills?" She asked.

"I don't want them, those make me drowsy."

"Where. Are. They."

"Top right, dresser drawer." Petyr said defeated, knowing she wouldn't leave him in peace till she got her way. He was proven right when she demanded he open his mouth and lift his tongue, so she could check they really were consumed.

 

She lifted the comforter and with a demanding voice, "get in," and ordered Petyr, who reluctantly complied and went face down on his pillow.

He only turned his head when he heard Sansa was leaving and his good arm reached out and took hold of the only thing he could reach, which happened to be her dress.

"Stay, Sansa."

"I shouldn't Herr Baelish."

Sansa didn't miss the flicker of emotion when she called him by his last name.

"Stay anyway." He said as he tugged on her dress to bring her closer towards him.

 

 

Looking down at the man who had been injured for her, was still suffering from it and had just hours ago killed for her. _Even helped her_. Sansa could see he wanted something from her, affection? _most definitely_. Love? _possibly._

And when she was about to sit beside him, it came to her.

 

Petyr never would've had to do any of that if she had never come into his life. She felt poisonous and monstrous. She was/still is the horrible liar.

She slapped away his hand on her dress and ran from the room, feeling beyond guilty and ashamed.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Schlampe - slut


	15. Chapter 15

 

 

 

The front door being opened harshly must've alerted Lothor to Sansa running away and down the street.

She made it to the end of the block before she looked around and rushed across the road, towards the nearest bench, and headed straight for the bus stop and sat herself down heavily.

With her head in her hands, Sansa felt the full force of everything hit her.

 

 

 

Sansa could no longer deny her feelings for Petyr.

She couldn't say when it happened or how, there wasn't a specific moment that told her _this is how you feel_.

She only knew she was in deep before she even knew she was already drowning. Hoping beyond hope he wouldn't crush her _if_ he ever found out the truth.

 

_He could never know the truth._

 

They would never work. Not taking into account the fact the were on opposite sides of this war, or the fact that if he ever reciprocated her feelings, how would the world view them.

If this horrible fighting ever ended, both their people would try everything in their power to tear them apart.

Sansa was sent to spy on Petyr, how would he react towards her if he ever found that out, could he ever look her in the eye again?

Would or could her ever forgive her, would he even want to?

She could never forget what he had done either. Are there some acts, no matter how well intended, you can't ever atone for? What would her parents think of her falling for a _Nazi?_

 

 

Sansa hung her head in shame. Just because someone was wearing a uniform, that didn't make up the whole man, isn't that what Anita had been trying to tell her?

Not every German Sansa came across are monsters, but Petyr has killed two people that she knew of.

What was his relationship with that slutty woman?

How do they know each other and why did it take so long for him to remember she was even there?

Would that even matter if any of them learned the truth about her though?

 

Petyr was rattled all morning, it didn't seem like he had any sleep the night before. What was he doing? What was he planning to do?

_The envelope._

Sansa needed to know what was in that, and soon.

He was prepared to pull her out of that meeting, even Lothor was leaving with him, why? And what stopped him?

 

 

 

A hand landed on Sansa's shoulder making her startle, but calmed at the feel of the gentle touch of a feminine hand rubbing soothing circles along her upper back.

"Take your time, but the men are worried about you."

Lena spoke softly and calmly for Sansa and continued to give comfort where it was needed most.

 

 

Sansa just sat there beside Lena and tried to calm herself, eventually she couldn't keep herself up and leant against Lena, who drew her in close.

"I'm a liar. A horrible liar! How could he..." Sansa trailed off as she realised what she was about to reveal.

"Herr Baelish is very good with secrets. He's..." Lena looked around her to make sure there weren't people around to overhear, "He's kept me safe for years and would gladly do the same for you."

Sansa lifted her head to examine Lena, who seemed extremely spooked. "What do you mean?"

Lena leant in closer to whisper and Sansa really had to listen hard to hear the quietest of whispers. "I'm Jewish."

"I promise I won't say anything." Sansa vowed as Lena still looked afraid that someone would jump out of nowhere just to pounce on her and drag her away for whispering the truth.

 

 

 

"Ready to head back?"

Lothor had managed to sneak up behind the women and made them both jump when he suddenly spoke.

Lena rushed ahead of the others when Lothor held onto Sansa's shoulder holding her back from walking off ahead.

"There's no need to wait till I'm drunk, ask."

Sansa looked up at the tall man as they casually made their way back.

"Ask me anything." Lothor said again.

"What's Petyr's relationship like with that slu- that Baratheon woman?"

Sansa stopped herself from calling her _that slut_ and judging from the wicked smile, Lothor didn't miss it either.

"They've been working together for about a year, but if you're asking if they've fucked," Sansa blushed and coughed at him using such a foul word, "I told you, I thought I had a better chance of getting in his pants then she did."

For some reason that eased Sansa's mind and was about to thank the man, but seeing the awkward look he was sporting decided to be playful instead.

"Are you telling me _you_ want to _sleep_ with Petyr instead?"

It got turned around on her quickly when the hand that was holding her shoulder suddenly squeezed her bum, making her squeak out in surprise and jump away from him.

"You tell me." Lothor said with a cheeky smirk.

"Okay, you made your point." Sansa said as they walked up the driveway.

"And Petyr never knows we had this -"

Sansa didn't know how to finish her sentence and waved a hand between the two of them to indicate to Lothor what she was trying to say.

The man huffed in slight amusement at her awkward display, "I quite like living. This will be our little secret."

"Surely Petyr wouldn't kill you for this." Sansa said dismayed.

"If you're so sure, then tell him." Lothor dared her as he opened the front door for her and waited till she passed through first.

Sansa seemed to skip around to face him and stepped up on her tippy toes and placed a sweet kiss to his cheek and whispered, "It'll be our secret."

 

Lothor had stiffened the moment he'd stepped into the house, where he saw Petyr standing at the top of the stairs holding the railing for dear life and watched the man's eyes scream murder at him, the moment Sansa had turned towards him.

 

 

"Petyr! What are you doing out of bed?" Sansa rushed up the stairs quickly to his side and beared his weight as Petyr clutched her tightly with his good arm, as she directed him back to his room.

They walked slowly as Petyr fought the drowsy effects of his pills and seemed more unsteady with every step he took.

Together they eased him back into bed and this time Petyr's hand that had been clutching Sansa's shoulder gripped her neck and brought her down beside him.

"This time stay."

Sansa had been sitting on the end of the bed as she helped Petyr in and managed to kick off her shoes as she was dragged down beside him and pretty much demanded she sleep with him.

"I'll stay, but promise me you'll take me home tomorrow." Sansa needed him to promise and stop delaying.

"Why? You're safe here." Petyr leant heavily on his arm to raise himself up slightly so they were eye level.

"I want to know what happened there, "Sansa looked at him desperately, " _I need to know_. Not just about my apartment, but Anita and Manfred and their nice daughter Christensen who wouldn't hurt a _fly_. Freddie my landlord. Judi, Angela, Meegan and her husband Christopher, the people that live there are my friends. They're nice people and I need to know."

Petyr's fingers lay over Sansa's mouth to stop her there, "We'll go tomorrow, first thing." Petyr's hand fell away when he bodily dropped on his stomach exhausted.

 

 

 

Sansa rested against the pillows and looked down at Petyr's head as he continued to breathe deeply while she thought on some of the events.

"You were so sure I'd come back." Sansa thought aloud and heard his noncommittal hum.

"You obviously had Lothor follow me, but..."

She let it hang there for a while as she thought about what she wanted to say.

"Was Lena lying?" Sansa didn't miss his smirk, "Lena's not Jewish is she?"

"The best lies come from truth. One of Lena's parents was Jewish, but she was never raised one." Petyr informed her, impressed she had figured it out herself.

 

 

"What is your relationship with that, Margaery?"

One of Petyr's eyebrows raised before he spoke. "Can I trust _you_ Sansa?"

"Yes."

Sansa answered quickly, but squeaked when Petyr grasped her neck and brought her down towards him, thinking for just a moment that he was going to kiss her, but instead searched her eyes desperately.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me truthfully, _can I trust you?"_ Petyr asked with every word breathed upon her, making her shiver as he observed her closely, and longed for the gap between them to sever.

" _Yes_ , Petyr." Sansa felt herself lean in and felt stupid when he moved back and released her.

"We share information." He explained as he laid down again.

"That's it?" She asked shocked.

"That's it."

"You don't... you haven't?"

"Haven't?" Petyr asked as he waited for Sansa to elaborate.

She couldn't bring herself to ask and turned away from him and faced the door as she waited for him to fall asleep.

 

 

"Some men are drawn towards her more scarlet nature, but I'm looking at someone more refined."

"I don't care." Sansa sounded just how young as she felt saying it and cringed.

Petyr's breath was on the back of her neck as he inched closer, "You care."

 

 

 

It felt like she laid there for hours, as the house went dark. Petyr had been sleeping beside her for a while and she waited a bit longer before she eased from the bed, when she knew she wouldn't wake him.

Making her way through the dark house, she knew there were three rooms on the ground floor, one was Petyr's office, which she spent and wasted an hour searching for the envelope and made her way to what she thought was Lena's room.

There was a room near the living room and chose to look there first.

Turning the handle and making sure the door didn't make a sound as she opened it, Sansa covered her mouth in time to cover her gasp as she saw Lothor's naked backside on the bed and quickly shut the door.

 

She made her way over to Lena's room beside the kitchen and as quiet as a mouse searched her drawers. Finding what she had been looking for in amongst her socks and snuck back out.

 

 

Sitting at Petyr's desk, she turned the lamp on and pulled out two French passports and a hand written letter.

_**Sansa, I promised I'd keep you safe. Follow Brune's instructions and he'll get you out.** _

She was confused till she saw the passports were for her and Lothor to pose as father and daughter. She looked to see if she had missed anything else, and got more questions when she didn't see anything for Petyr for where or what he planned to do himself.

 

 

 

Sansa never made it up the stairs and had curled up on the sofa and didn't rise again till morning, when she felt someone brushing her hair away from her face.

"Hungry?" Petyr asked as his fingers caressed her face gently.

 

 

 

The morning was shrouded in a cloud of silence where everyone in the household didn't dare to speak.

Sansa and Petyr ate their breakfast quietly and at their leisure, while Petyr still read the morning paper before either of them moved to wash and dress.

The letter and its contents was left haphazardly across Petyr's desk, where he saw and never cared to bring it up with her.

 

 

 

The drive was quite sombre the closer they reached Spandau and Sansa's hand searched desperately for Petyr's when they saw debris and rubble reaching for miles, getting so dense it was impossible for Lothor to drive any further.

Before anyone could stop her, Sansa climbed from the car and made her way as carefully as she could around the wreckage, unaware the men were doing the same.

 

It wasn't easy to navigate the demolished streets but she had a vague idea where she was going and was stopped mid-run when she recognised her apartment building.

What was left of it, was barely hanging together. It was more a grey half empty shell of its former self and the closer she got to the building, the stronger the arms became that were holding her back.

Looking at what was left became too much and the scream that was contained and bubbling below echoed out.

 

 

All gone, everything she had of her family, the photos, the people who took her in, gone.

 

 

Turned to ash, blowing away to nothing. Never again would Sansa get to see their wonderful faces again, hold them, hug them, love them.

 

 

Collapsing under the weight of grief, the screaming only stopped when her throat closed up in pain.

Then one tear fell followed by another and another till everything became blurry and she could no longer see anything.

 

Kneeling on the ground, Sansa still felt Petyr's arms around her and fell into him to bury her face in his neck as he started humming for her.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know when I'll get round to the next chapter, this turned out a lot harder to write than I first thought. It was always the plan, but I never - sorry


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the erupt end with the strange note at the end of the last chapter. I find that with this story my mind takes me somewhere darker and sometimes the emotions (like grief) hit me harder. Anita is very much inspired from one of my Great Aunties who was the most wonderful and sweetest person I ever knew and who I lost earlier in the year... so when I reached that part, you can imagine how hard that was for me. 
> 
>  
> 
> Now on a different note, I've got the worst luck in the world and have caught my brothers sinensis infection, so again I'm sorry, for those of you who are reading my Tommy Carcetti/Sansa story and this. 
> 
> Both stories will be on hold till I'm recovered.

 

 

 

The months of August and September were shrouded with grief and depression as Petyr attended almost all of the funerals with Sansa.

Once a new body had been identified, off they went.

As more and more funerals happened, Sansa never would've been able to handle any of it without Petyr's support and the comfort he willingly provided every time.

 

For the few where Petyr was absent Lothor went in his stead, grumbling every time Sansa would hug him and call him her great big cuddly bear.

 

It went unspoken, but the spare bedroom beside Petyr's was now belonged to Sansa, to make her own. She moved into that room that very evening of the day she had broken down in Petyr's arms out on the street.

To decorate and change however she wished, which wasn't much with again just the clothes on her back and barely much else.

 

Being back to where she started with nothing and now she no longer had the photos of her family to look back on, Sansa was starting to lose hope for the cause.

 

 

 

Petyr, Lothor and Lena worked their best to make it easier on Sansa, helping whenever or however they could.

Lena had weekly been building up her new wardrobe, which now seemed to almost overflow with every new outfit gifted to her.

Lothor maintained his friendly joking manner, but knew when and if he ever went too far.

While Petyr did everything in his power to seem like he was doing most of her workload, which backfired every time when it would make Sansa feel guilty for neglecting her duties.

 

 

 

September started off badly when they attended Christensen's funeral, followed closely a week later with Anita's and Manfred's back to back in the same day so the family could be all buried together.

Standing in the cemetery on the soft green grass, surrounded by beautiful looking gardens and tall almost towering big trees. The place seemed almost disguised as a forest wonderland if it wasn't for all the surrounding gravestones.

 

In her new long black dress and shoes presented to her just that morning from Petyr, Sansa stood there sombrely beside him.

 

Petyr kept holding her close, almost wrapping her in a hug as they watched the men work to lower the coffins into the ground. Sansa was grateful for Petyr working diligently the last few days to make sure he was here for her today.

Somehow sensing this was going to be hardest on Sansa, which it was. Having never been given the chance to attend her own parents funerals, she didn't know where or if they were buried anywhere in the city, a thought that had recently come back to haunt her at night again.

 

 

 

As the men slowly started finishing up and went about preparing to shovel the dirt back in, Sansa couldn't bring herself to watch the holes being filled and looked away, only to be confronted with Anita's name carved out on the headstone.

The moment her emotions got the best of her, Petyr was at the ready and gently coerced her face away from everything as she broke down against him, giving her the smallest measure of peace he could provide.

 

 

 

Over the months in the office Sansa watched from her station the constant revolving door of secretary's coming and going through Varys' office.

With the man himself more dissatisfied with each new person that came along.

 

 

 

During the middle of September when Sansa was just feeling comfortable in the office again Margaery showed up again to help Varys out with the mess left from the last person who was suddenly fired a few days earlier.

As much as it pained Sansa to admit, Margaery knew what she was doing as she helped Varys in and out of his office.

 

For the few weeks that she had been there working across from Sansa everyday, Sansa was just starting to get used to her work days of giving Margaery false smiles as she politely greeted her every morning and glared at her back every time she so happened to need private meetings with Petyr behind his closed doors.

Which just so happened to be every evening before everyone packed up for the night.

 

 

 

 

When one morning out of the blue, the woman in question made a sudden announcement one morning.

"Everyone this is my wonderful brother Loras." She said with an air of pride and a flourish of her arms, pointing to everyone.

 

When it was Sansa's turn to be introduced, she couldn't contain her blush when she first laid eyes on the man and gave him a meek greeting.

To her embracement she turned even more bright red when Loras took her offered hand for a usual hand shake and kissed her knuckles instead, missing entirely the deadly look Petyr was giving them throughout the whole exchange.

 

"Hallo Sansa, it's a pleasure to meet you," Loras said with a strange accent.

His words pronounced oddly to her ears that had quickly from the age of nine, became accustomed to how every native born German spoke. Sansa used everything in her power to not draw attention to herself and smiled at the blonde and stepped back closer to Petyr's side.

Who instantly snaked an arm around her waist to bring her flush against his side, with the possessive action Sansa had trouble controlling the blush now reaching her neck as she struggled to follow the conversation around her.

"Will you be back in time for the grand premier?" Varys asked Margaery who stood beside him and Loras.

"Of course I will, December is a long way off." Margaery replied with a sickly sweet chuckle to her voice.

"It will be here sooner than you think," Varys stated as he joined in amused with her antics.

"I wouldn't dare miss Kolberg."

 

Sansa was confused by this whole exchange, if she wasn't mistaken, it sounded like Margaery was leaving.

 

Which was confirmed when they were joined by another man who came up behind Margaery and Loras, wrapping an arm around her and kissing the side of her cheek, "We'd best be leaving, or we'll miss our flight."

With everyone focusing their gazes on the affection bestowed between husband and wife, everyone didn't see the other hand fondling Loras' rear.

"Don't be so rude. Sansa this is my lovely husband Renly. Renly say hello." Margaery ordered him like a naughty puppy.

The man ducked his head down sheepishly as he stepped forward to shake Sansa's hand, "Hello Sansa."

 

Both Petyr and Varys had matching looks of amusement in the form of smirks, while Sansa tried desperately not to laugh out loud as she imagined Margaery with a rolled up newspaper at the ready to hit Renly on the nose if he disobeyed.

 

"Hello Renly," She greeted with a huge smile instead.

"So when is the Christmas party this year?" Margaery asked the two smirking men already annoyed Renly had taken so much of their time.

"Since the premier is being hosted on the 20th, the Führer has chosen Christmas Eve instead." Petyr finally spoke up and was the one to answer.

 

 

 

When the married couple finally left for the airport the office, noise drastically decreased as Petyr and Varys headed into their own offices, while Sansa and Loras got comfortable at their own desks.

 

 

 

As the days slowly passed and with November just around the corner, Sansa soon craved the work hours to distract her mind from falling into despair.

Even if most days the office wasn't filled to the brim with people, the many files that needed typing up or phone call transfers stopped Sansa from dwelling on deep dark thoughts like, _why wasn't anyone contacting her?_

_Was Davos even alive?_

_Is Jon still safe?_

Then there were the days when all she could think about was all the people who had died as a result of her actions and was happy there wasn't anymore communication.

If there were no letters or orders, then no one else needed to get hurt and Sansa could go on living her life.

It wasn't by any means perfect, but for the first time in a long time, _maybe even ever,_  Sansa didn't want to go anywhere else.

 

 

 

"Hey Sansa," Loras sat on the edge of her desk and his fingers brushed her cheek and lifted her face so their eyes connected. The flirty actions were causing Sansa to blush profusely.

"Could you help me find the file on Lev Grushanin? It's somehow gone missing and Varys will have my head if I don't find it." Loras said with a gruff voice, to hopefully get Sansa to comply more.

 

Sansa almost forgot what Loras asked her as his sparkling eyes stared deeply into hers and she had to clear her throat as she finally remembered her and Petyr had gone over that file days ago.

"It was filed under dead and buried."

"Thanks doll," Loras said with a gentle pinch to her cheek as he swayed over to the filing cabinets lined on the back wall ahead of their desks, near the staircase.

 

 

 

When the phone connecting between the two offices chirped, Sansa answered immediately after just one ring.

"Get in here."

Petyr spoke before she answered and Sansa could tell by the tone of his voice he sounded really angry.

 

 

 

The moment Sansa gave a knock to his office door and stepped through, it was slammed closed behind her sharply where Petyr had been standing beside it, waiting for her to enter.

"What in the hell did that Schwanzlutscher want."

Petyr radiated anger from every pore and Sansa was reluctant to answer his demand.

Either one knowing it wasn't directed as a question and when he invaded her personal space and walked towards her, Sansa unconsciously took steps backwards as she felt apprehensive about the whole situation.

 

She realised too late that her actions had been adding more fuel to his anger and let out a meek squeak when her back bumped into the wall behind her.

 

With nowhere else to go, Sansa felt boxed in and corned, with no escape as Petyr raised his hands either side of her, leaning on the wall as he stopped a hairs breathe apart from her.

"Tell me," He ordered again.

" _He_..." Sansa hesitated as his eyes grew darker, from what, she didn't know and couldn't begin to guess.

" _Yes_..." Petyr encouraged her but spoke in her same hesitant demeanour, almost mockingly.

 

"He needed help looking for a specific file, "Sansa slowly explained.

"That's it?" Petyr asked, making Sansa even more confused as he suddenly changed and spoke more gently. Sansa was about to answer when she lost her voice when his right hand caressed her cheek, where moments ago Loras had grazed her.

 

His fingers moved towards her chin where he brushed his thumb a little too close to her lower lip. Sansa gulped and shivered at his provocative gesture.

When his fingers caressed the length of her exposed neck, Sansa's reaction was most probably visceral and felt like her whole entire body was burning up.

 

Her eyes felt so incredibly heavy and she desperately wanted to shut them, her legs didn't feel like her own anymore and didn't know how much they could hold up her weight.

 

When his pointer finger reached her bosom, he stopped all his movements and placed his whole palm across her chest and just felt her uneven breaths.

"You like when men flirt with you? Show you interest... or is it just the pretty face with that muscle?"

Petyr was asking her questions and it took a lot for Sansa to forget the call of her bodies demands and focus on what he was saying.

"Can't you just picture it now, the two of you... arm linked with his, looking just the _doll_."

"Who?" Sansa managed to ask breathlessly, very much confused and not knowing how wantonly she was to his dark devouring eyes.

At her confused question his smirk grew and breathed in her soft musky perfume as he breached the last remaining distance between them and kissed her cheek, close to the corner of her mouth.

"Pack your things, we're heading home." Petyr said as he suddenly ripped himself away from her, and left Sansa in a state of desperation of trying to find her equilibrium again.

 

 

 

As everyone sat in their usual seats on the car ride home, Sansa was avidly choosing to ignore Petyr every time he tried engaging in conversation.

Even going so far as to winding her window all the way down so she wouldn't have to see his eyes looking at her through the reflection in the glass.

 

 

 

As Lothor parked the car in the garage, Petyr was the first one out and slammed his door so hard the sound echoed around the space loudly and jolted the car sideways slightly as he stormed away.

He ignored his bosses weird behaviour and made his way around the other side and offered his arm to help assist Sansa out.

"Shouldn't ignore him like that." Lothor said as he locked the garage door and once he turned around was greeted with Sansa's deadliest glare.

The look had no affect on the large man whatsoever and he continued like it was nothing as they walked inside the house, "He's an adult yeah, but in the matters of the heart... he hasn't quite caught up yet."

"I. Don't. Care." Sansa sounded beyond angered and ran on the stairs, slamming the bedroom door loudly behind her.

 

 

Lothor closed the front door like that didn't happen and saw Lena coming over to see what the commotion was all about.

At her curious glances, Lothor rolled his eyes and muttered, "Idiots. The both of them."

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Schwanzlutscher - cocksucker 
> 
> I know the film Kolberg didn't come out until 1945... but meh! I don't care, I just needed a film that Goebbels was involved in. I'm not and your not here for complete accuracy ... I hope


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot apologise enough for the very long absence. It was extremely difficult to recover from my infection, with my cough still lingering ... damn it! 
> 
> Not only being sick, but I struggled with so many new stories popping into my head and needed to write their outlines out before they were lost. Speaking of lost, that almost happened to one of them :( 
> 
> I'm back now and hoping to get more written and posted soon though. 
> 
> Plus one more thing, if any of you want to chat or ask questions about any of my stories I'm now FINALLY, on Tumblr @clarissa-dn38416

 

 

 

Throughout the month of November and well into December everyone in the household could argue they were having the worst time of it.

 

Lena, seeing how everyone had been behaving towards each other and making sure she stayed back and clearly out of their way.

 

 

Petyr, every time he tried reaching out to Sansa, only for her to back away and run from him and straight towards the arms of either Brune or Loras.

 

 

Sansa, not taking a moment of Petyr's radical mood swings. Everyday would start the same with the two of them being polite over breakfast, only for it to change as they got to the office.

One look at her working with Loras and Petyr was like a strange, crazed man that Sansa had no wish to know and made sure to keep her distance and choosing instead to spending the rest of the day with the other men in the office.

 

Refusing to allow herself into a simular situation where Petyr could potentially play with her emotions like that again.

She wasn't completely stupid and for the few seconds his touch lingered on her cheek, she thought it was genuine only for his harsh words to radically bring her back down to earth.

Sansa knew her heart couldn't take another moment of Petyr's false affection and couldn't bare to have any form of attention from him like that again.

 

The car rides home was Sansa still keeping the crazy man she didn't recognise away from her and started sitting with Lothor in the front empty seat beside him.

Dinners were no longer with Petyr in the same room they shared breakfast and she now joined Lothor and Lena at the table in the large kitchen. Refusing to admit to herself that she missed those shared private meals where he would give her his full attention and smiled when Lena and Lothor laughed together over one of his jokes.

 

No one would hear from Petyr for the rest of the night, as he locked himself in his office or bedroom, while he left everyone else to only guess what he was doing for hours.

 

 

Except what probably Lena and Lothor didn't suspect was Sansa would hear the soft gentle raps of Petyr knocking on her bedroom door every night.

Her room would be in complete darkness, just like the rest of the house, but she knew the layout now like the back of her hand and knew where to walk that wouldn't cause the floorboards to creak.

Right on time, like clock work.

She would be standing right on the other side, wanting desperately to open that door and let him in. Her hand always raised and lying against the cool wood, feeling like she could feel Petyr was right there and feeling his strong heartbeat.

There was never any talking, no yelling, she couldn't hear his breaths, but for some reason the knocking occurred every evening close to midnight.

 

Something would be mumbled so faintly through the door right before she would hear his retreat to his door opposite hers.

Sansa would take to smashing her ear right up against the door, just to try and hear even one familiar word and one night she successfully managed to hear something once, but it didn't sound like anything she'd ever heard before.

It wasn't German nor English, didn't sound like French which her mother knew a little and had tried teaching her and Arya without any positive results. Sansa had heard Varys speak Italian and Russian, so she knew it couldn't be that either, so it left Sansa at a strange place trying to figure out what Petyr could be whispering at her door every night.

 

 

 

Then there was Lothor, having to put up with Petyr _and_ Sansa. With Petyr's jealously manifesting in a show of juvenile anger, which confused Sansa and made her keep even more distance.

Not realising that distancing herself was making matters worse for _him._

He watched his boss trying to reframe from murdering Loras everyday, who was getting most of Sansa's attention and even some affection as they flirted with each other which unfortunately was almost every day.

At the beginning of December, with some carols playing on the only radio station he could handle listening to, as waited at the end of the day in the car for the others to finish up.

Lothor was still in the midst of enjoying his cigarette and knew there was going to be trouble when Sansa opened the side door and sat beside him.

He flicked the butt out of his window and huffed in annoyance as he drove them all home.

Spending the rest of the night trying to convince his boss that nothing was going on between himself and Sansa. He knew he succeeded when he actually woke up the following morning.

 

 

 

 

Sansa moved aside the silk sheets and contemplated asking Lena for the flannel set in the hallway cupboard, now that winter was setting in and could hear the rain gently hitting the windowpane.

It was another lazy start to another Sunday morning and the regret of not attending the morning church service that had been engrained in her from the earliest age had now mellowed to the point where it no longer bothered her anymore.

 

Finding her robe, a soft white colour and long, resting on the window seat and wrapped herself in its warm embrace as she stood by the window watching the rain pour down on the streets below.

No one was outside and even if the sun was shining there still wouldn't be a soul out and about, some days not just this one, if Sansa fought really hard, she could just for a moment forget about the violence and war.

 

Forgetting all about the silence from Jon and Davos, which had now been going on for months and just enjoying this one moment of peace.

 

As far back as she could remember, Sansa was always finding comfort in the pitter-patter of the rain or the calm silence of waking after a night full of the heavy downpour of snow while thousands of others tended to dread the winter months.

 

 

 

 

Making her way down for breakfast, Sansa wondered which Petyr she was going to get today and sat opposite the man, who was nose deep in his morning paper again.

After helping herself to a healthy portion of food, Petyr eventually folded up his paper and pushed it aside to join her.

His hands going straight for the coffee pot as usual and poured them both a cup and added a dollop of milk to hers. Just how he remembered she liked it.

Seeing how Sansa was still stealing pieces of bacon off the small plate beside his own, Petyr handed it over for her to enjoy. Choosing instead a small portion of the eggs and half a sausage for himself.

 

"Christmas is only two weeks away." Petyr spoke softly like he didn't want to ruin the calm atmosphere.

"What about it?" Sansa asked after dabbing at her lips with the serviette.

"Is it something worth celebrating?"

Petyr seemed like he wanted to say more and was using his hand, still clutching his knife and giving little hand gestures. His behaviour was weird until she realised he meant to say with all the death this year had seen and suddenly Sansa no longer felt hungry.

 _"Oh."_ It was all Sansa could manage to say and fiddled with the serviette in her lap. "Could we..."

Sansa was hesitant for some reason and when she finally looked over the table back at Petyr, he was looking at her with an expression not yet seen and couldn't figure out what he was thinking in that moment.

 

It was his patience that sparked Sansa to ask for what she wanted, "Can we get a tree?"

 

 

 

 

Some time later once they had both gone off to their own rooms to dress warmly enough, both Petyr and Sansa were wandering the grounds of his backyard.

It was called a backyard but it seemed a lot larger than that, and right down the back of the small patch of grass and beside a small box which she assumed was a shed, was a small picket gate.

"It's another escape route if we can't make it through the front of the house," Petyr went on to explain once he saw Sansa looking in that direction.

They kept walking towards the shed and Sansa stood back as Petyr stepped in and a minute later came back out with an axe that looked heavier than the both of them put together.

Sansa hid behind her hand as she saw Petyr dragging the axe along the ground and tried to hide her amusement.

Petyr gave her a knowing look as he slowly followed behind.

 

 

"Have you picked one yet?" Petyr asked when she stopped in the centre of the yard.

"Haven't you ever picked a tree before? Surely you know it's not that simple, you can't just stand in a field and say _that one!_ It takes time and patience to pick the perfect tree."

Petyr's eyes lit up the more Sansa spoke passionately and gave her a smirk and shrugged his shoulders when she looked at him expectedly after her rant.

Sansa huffed and stormed off as she seemingly went to expertly examine every tree in his yard.

 

 

 

 

It felt like hours and the rain was starting to come down heavier, Petyr dropped the handle not caring if the axe got muddy and made his way over to Sansa's side.

His fingers delicately brushed against hers and smiled when she clutched his in her hand.

"It doesn't have to be perfect," Petyr said.

"Yes, _it does._ Something needs to be," Sansa explained.

His fingers squeezed hers in a show of support which almost made her cry. Feeling this year had been so emotional, but sick of all the tears shed, she chose no more instead.

She turned to look at Petyr and what she was going to say got lost as she saw the tree she wanted behind him.

 

 

 

 

As Petyr tried swinging the axe at the base of the tree Sansa finally lost it and released the laughter stuck in her throat at his poor display.

He kept trying and failing spectacularly, not caring in the slightest that he looked the fool for Sansa, if it got her to laugh as much as she was right now.

 

He tried again and failed as he tried not to join in the contagious mirth and lost his hold on the axe.

Petyr waited until the worst of her laughter died down and looked at her with a pout, "Sorry, no tree this year. Christmas is off."

"Pick it up."

Sansa ordered him and to her amazement, Petyr quickly complied and waited to see what she had planned next.

 

Without thinking what it could mean, Sansa walked right up behind Petyr and flattened herself to his back and reached around his waist for a grasp on the axe.

With her hands next to his, together they managed to swing the axe with success and knocked the tree that stood only a few inches shorter than the both of them, over with one move.

 

 

 

 

During the time Sansa and Petyr had been outside, Lothor and Lena had been at the table. Lothor had been cutting old clothes into long strips, where Lena had been tying them into bows to place on the tree.

When Lothor heard Petyr yell for him, he left Lena to handle the rest herself and helped his boss with setting up the tree as Sansa went up stairs to shower and get warm.

 

It was one of the rare times that Lothor got to hand out orders to his boss, knowing Petyr had never had experience setting up a proper tree and found a little too much enjoyment from it.

 

Once the tree was in place Petyr stood in the living room with his arms crossed over his chest and was still glaring at Lothor by the time he turned to him.

"The toilet is clogged again."

Lothor bit into his tongue to hold in his own remark and stormed off thinking he should've given Petyr more orders while he still had the chance.

 

 

 

 

As the four of them sat in the kitchen once it was cleared of their work, to eat the sandwiches Lena had made. Sansa noticed the new tension between the men sitting opposite each other and slid across the bench closer to Petyr and placed what she hoped was a comforting hand on his leg.

The tension in the room suddenly changed, Petyr's shoulders seemed to loosen and before Sansa had a chance to retreat Petyr's hand clasped hers.

Once they were alone, Petyr immediately looked to Sansa.

Needing or wanting something, but Sansa didn't know what it could be and waited for him to do something.

As Petyr got up from the bench his hold on Sansa's hand didn't lessen and she followed him through the house to where the tree was set up for her.

 

 

 

"We don't have any decorations, so this is the best we-"

"They're perfect." Sansa stopped Petyr's explanation and smiled at him as she looked at the pile of bows on the floor.

Not wanting to waste a single one, Sansa started to place one on each branch and slowly worked her way up.

"Come on, Petyr, it's fun to decorate trees."

 

Sansa encouraged him and thought he looked charming with how carefully he tried tying one bow to the nearest branch, like he didn't want to disrupt anything.

 

 

By the time Sansa had tied ten more to the tree, Petyr was still working on his third. As they continued, Sansa couldn't resist stealing glances at the man and felt like she was falling in love with him all over again.

The boyish wonder on Petyr's face was all she had hoped to accomplish and smiled tearfully as she succeeded in sharing with him the one thing she had most loved doing with her family every year as a child, and had missed terribly.

 

 

 

 

Lena came in some time later as Sansa was placing the last bow, the largest one on the top of the tree. Serving them some drinks and immediately taking her leave once they were placed on the nearest coffee table.

The new and wonderful smell drew Sansa's attention and she hurried over to the couch where Petyr had already plonked himself down, sitting beside him, she thanked him as he handed her the warm mug.

 

"Mmm. Smells wonderful, what is it?"

"Lena's own take on Apple cider." Petyr told her with a warm smile, "go on. Try it."

 

Sansa took a careful sip, not wanting to burn her tongue and instead felt a strange burning sensation travel down the back of her throat as she swallowed the drink and ended up coughing from the new experience.  

"Forgot to mention, Lena and Brune prefer their alcohol on the strong side," Petyr was smirking at her coughing fit, "You're twenty-one, I'm sure this isn't the first time you're _drinking."_

"I'm ... not used to drinks being quite so strong." Sansa didn't want to appear so innocent and hoped Petyr didn't see through the lie.

 

The second sip wasn't nearly as bad and went down smoother, now that she knew what to expect and leant back in the couch to get more comfortable.

 

 

Sansa was feeling the warmth from the drink taking affect and felt tingly in her legs as she nearly finished her mug. Both her and Petyr had been sitting comfortably and admiring their handiwork in front of them.

 

"Will you accompany me to the Kolberg premier?"  

Sansa turned to see Petyr looking down at the contents of his mug and didn't bat an eyelash, "Sure I'll rearrange some - "

"No," Petyr cut her off, but didn't yell or shout the word. He placed his mug on the coffee table, turned till he faced her more fully and waiting till she locked eyes with him and reached for her free hand.  

"Sansa, will you please accompany _me?"_

 

Oh, was all that formed in her mind as she tried to comprehend what Petyr was asking her. _Oh!_

 

"Yes," She breathed out eventually and saw the moment Petyr's body unclenched and looked more than relieved, pleased seemed more accurate or happy even.

 

He moved in closer and placed a soft kiss to her cheek, he smelt of apples from the drink they had been consuming and looked at his eyes so close to hers.

The blues and greens disappearing as his eyes darkened.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone whose interested, the story of the Christmas tree is from an old story my grandma shared about the only time they had one during the war.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It feels like forever again, life and work are the biggest pains for time to write. I'm really hoping not to leave stories for long again, but in a couple of days I've got sometime off and I swear I'm going to use those days writing as much as I can.
> 
> Enjoy and feel free to hit me up on Tumblr @clarissa-dn38416

 

 

 

With shaky limbs Sansa managed to lean over and place her almost empty mug of cider on the coffee table beside Petyr's and sat back closer to his side.

His arm moved to accommodate her and with a confidence that she wouldn't been able to show herself. Sansa felt warmed in more than one way as he moved and wrapped his arm around her shoulder to bring her in even closer to his side.

 

The tingling that had started in Sansa's legs as she drank the strong alcoholic beverage was making its way up her body and making her feel loose and a little light-headed.

 

Trying to follow Petyr's example of confidence, she moved in close. Seeing his eyes grow darker, she saw how he licked his lips as if it was an after-thought and leant her head in closer.

He followed her movement with an air of eager anticipation, but Sansa lost her nerve right as she felt a small puff of air from Petyr's slightly parted lips reached her face, like he had sighed or gasped without his own consent.

Either way, that small act was what snapped Sansa out of her nerve and laid her down against his shoulder and closed her eyes instead.

 

Petyr's other arm came around, so now Sansa felt completely secure and locked in his entire embrace.

 

Sansa felt guilty for giving him false hope, but felt safe and warm as she snuggled in and settled further against him. The kiss he placed upon the top of her head was reassuring and let her know he wasn't upset or mad with her.

Petyr's lips lingered against her hairline as she followed the demand of her body to rest and drifted off as his arms tightened their hold on her.

 

 

 

Sansa must've felt more tired then she originally let on and didn't know how long she slept for. Her mind was still groggy from her nap and she was still feeling tired, wanting to go back to sleep but she wondered what had woken her up more.

From the position she was now in, laying spread out with her legs tangled with Petyr's, he must've moved them at some point and felt herself wedged between his side and the back of the couch.

The house was dark and silent when she slowly stirred and once she opened her eyes, she saw a lone small thin candle in the middle of the coffee table where once their mugs had been.

The amount of wax dribbling down one side let Sansa know it had been burning for quite some time.

 

Then she heard it, the faintest sound of someone whispering.

 

Sansa didn't dare move her head where it rested against Petyr's chest and felt the vibrations under her ear as he continued on. The finger's of his left hand were combing through her hair as he spoke in that strange language again.

She couldn't make out what he was saying, but what he was doing to her hair, soothing strokes and untangling knots if he came across them and how he almost sounded whimsical, almost musical, she felt herself drifting off into a state where she felt like she was lying in a bed of water on her back and letting the currents chose where to take her.

It was peaceful and calming, with a hint of sadness.

Whatever story, _if it was a story,_ was just what she loved and needed and didn't want to cause anything to stop Petyr from continuing.

 

The way in which his almost non-existent voice was going on stopped suddenly when Sansa unconsciously rubbed her nose against his chest, like she was snuggling in again and froze when his hand stopped in her hair.

 

 

 

They both laid there frozen while Sansa held her breath to see what Petyr would do.

_Was this something private to him?_

_Did he never want to share everything with her?_

She was confused, _why would he ask her out as his date,_ a clear sign he had feelings for her too if he didn't want to share his whole self with her?

 

Was it a selfish thought, wanting the man she was lying to, to be completely honest with her?

 

The moment Sansa had agreed to be Petyr's date was the moment she knew she was going to tell him everything. Her mind already planning _where_ and _when_ and _how._

 

Being with this man, working with him, living with him.

Sansa knew enough and knew if she could trust him enough with her heart, then she was going to trust him with everything else.

 

This relationship, she knew it was very early stages to be calling it _that,_ but she refused to think otherwise.

 

This was it for her, _Petyr was it._

 

There was never going to be anyone else, so it was all or nothing for her now.

With her mind made up and knowing how much it would hurt, Sansa was resolved to walk away completely if Petyr wasn't willing to do the same.

 

 

 

"Sorry I woke you," Petyr's soft apology eased Sansa's wandering mind from her troubled thoughts back to the present. He eased her with just four words, as they both moved from their frozen states.

His fingers resumed their wonderful caressing through her hair and Sansa's hand that was covering his heart started moving and tapping his chest in time to his heartbeat.

"You didn't," Sansa lied.

The silence between them didn't need to be filled with chatter, it felt right and comfortable, so they remained quiet.

 

 

 

Sansa was beginning to drift off again when she heard him speak again, she was going to ignore it, but his demeanour changed all that.

"Do you want to move back to your bed?"

"Not at all." Sansa punctured her statement by hugging him tighter which got a wide grin from the man, who tried to hide it by planting his face in her hair.

"How much did you hear?" Petyr asked once he recovered his composure.

"You were talking?" Sansa lied again, for some reason she didn't want to reveal she had been enthralled with him earlier, if he didn't want to share either.

"Not really," Petyr answered her but felt like she was withholding also.

"Care to share, Petyr?" Sansa hoped her desperation for the truth didn't come through as she asked.

"Not right now, but soon," Petyr promised her.

He kissed her head again and whispered with a tiredness he was now feeling himself, "Sleep darling."

 

His term of endearment came as a pleasant surprise and got a huge smile from Sansa, which stayed as she did as he commanded and fell back to sleep quickly.

 

 

 

 

Over the coming week Petyr and Sansa's attitude had radically changed, so much so, that Lena and Lothor noticed.

 

Lena was taking to humming as she worked around the house, something Sansa noticed had stopped once she had officially moved into Petyr's house, but was welcomed back now that everyone seemed to be getting on better than ever.

 

While Lothor no longer feared what his boss was gong to do if Sansa had continued sitting beside him in the car.

Now that she was back beside Petyr in the back of the car, they both seemed more happy.

 

It was obvious by their constant hidden smiles towards each other and also by the way in which they now sat flush together in the backseat, whispering only gods-know-what to each other as Lothor now took to turning on the radio so he could concentrate on the road.

 

 

 

Sansa was having a great week, with her and Petyr in a good place emotionally. He was starting to become his old flirtatious self again, like he was in the beginning.

Something that Sansa tried and failed to join in.

Her flirty banter was nowhere near on his level, but her efforts were always received with a giant smile and kiss to her cheek, something she now suspected Petyr did to bring out her blushing cheeks.

 

 

 

Sansa finishing off the last of Petyr's reports he had asked for her to type up, and didn't bother to look when she Loras' excited voice again.

The man seemed way too happy to hear that his sister's plane was going to land as scheduled and was now telling a very bored looking Varys, who was examining his nails again for the umpteenth time.

 

A door was heard opening and knew who it was when she smelt a wave of mint reached her nose when the man passed her desk coughed so she wouldn't smile in front of all the men.

" _Baelish!_ Tell me, when are the invitations going to be passed out?"

Varys' desperation for a subject change was showing and was received with Petyr's track mark smirk.

 

"Well..."

 

Petyr was slow to answer, knowing how it in a way was torture for the man and was enjoying it way too much anyway.

 

 

Loras must've gotten bored with the new conversation and before Sansa was aware of anything the man himself was already behind her desk and standing right flush beside her chair, blocking her from any escape.

"Hey doll, can you spare a moment?"

The nickname was back, not that it had ever left. It was never a bother to Sansa, but she had tried to ask Loras to stop for Petyr, only with no success.

 

Sansa nodded and followed the man close to the only staircase, wanting to create some distance from the other men on the floor, but was still in their line of vision and knew if she turned around, she would see Petyr's eyes glaring daggers their way.

 

 

 

Petyr had stopped caring for his weak conversation with Varys and couldn't take his eyes off Sansa and Loras. He had heard the man call her _doll_ again and his hand was itching for his weapon holstered to his hip.

He could only guess as to what that idiot could be asking and silently fumed.

 

 

It wasn't long before he and Varys parted ways and Petyr headed straight back into his office and straight for his desk.

 

 

Once Sansa parted from Loras her desk phone started up immediately. She ignored the ringing phone and headed into his office instead, closing the heavy door behind her.

 

 

Petyr dropped the receiver back down on its hooks and slowly made his way to Sansa, who had chosen to lean heavily against the door in case she needed a quick escape.

 

"I have a surprise for you, Sansa."

 

She felt sceptical and felt a small part of her ashamed for thinking that way about the man who is was kind-of but really dating.

"Really?"

 

His eyes narrowed at how meek her voice was and by her hand still resting on the doorhandle. The very last thing he ever wanted to see was Sansa afraid of him and tried cooling his voice down and spoke softer, "Are you ready to leave? We are going shopping."

Sansa was confused and looked it as she starred at him in shock.

" _That's it?_ This what you wanted to ask?"

 

Petyr refused to let her see how much that got to him and stood straighter with his shoulders back, in a show of strength he wasn't really feeling.

 

"You don't care what Loras asked me?"

He dropped the façade and showed he was hurt, "Of course I _care_."

 

Sansa felt regret when she saw how her words had gotten to him, but before she had the chance to apologise he cut her off with hard eyes and a voice to match.

"Don't leave me in suspense here, what was your answer?"

"To be his date for the premier."

 

He didn't show an ounce of shock and must've guessed before hand.

 

"I wish you both the best of luck then."

_"Petyr..."_

Sansa's voice pleaded with him and she rushed to him as she threw her arms around his shoulders. She refused to relinquish her hold on him and wouldn't be moved till his arms wrapped around her and felt him soften.

 

 

 

Lothor had the worst timing in the world and opened the door to see the couple hugging in the middle of his bosses office and rolled his eyes, closed the door and made his way to the car to wait for the idiots to get themselves in order.

 

 

 

"I'm sorry."

It took all of Petyr's courage to admit his fault in the situation and was rewarded in the best way when he felt Sansa initiate contact between them for the first time.

Her lips were soft and felt heavenly on his cheek, his eyes closed involuntarily as he relished in her affections.

"So am I, Petyr." Sansa admitted once she pulled back, "So where are we going?"

 

 

 

 

Sansa was sitting beside her vanity in her bedroom, waiting and watching through the mirror was Lena helped her with her hair.

"Stop that!" Lena said again for the millionth time within the hour.

"Sorry." Sansa said as she tried to control her legs from shaking.

 

 

The nerves were killing her and in just a few hours her and Petyr were going to out for their fist date.

It was that thought she kept her mind focused on and not the hundreds, _was it hundreds?_ She didn't know, of Nazi's she was going to be socialising with.

 

It was the day of their mini fight, disagreement, afterwards Petyr had taken her to where he got his suits tailored and was escorted through the back where the owners wife was waiting to take Sansa's measurements for a dress of her choosing.

 

It felt like hours but when Lena was done, Sansa looked at her hair in the mirror admiring the woman's handiwork. The soft twist-bun hung low and a lone stray curl was left hanging partly down one cheek.

Sansa rushed to get up to hug and thank the woman for taking the time to help her and was soon left alone to finish her make-up.

 

 

In the end there was very little, but Sansa didn't think she need it and slipped into her white long silk dress.

The same one she had insisted she was going to pay for with all the money saved up and her nerves skyrocketed as the dress moulded to her slender form.

While remembering only days ago she finally received a strange letter.

There was nothing on there to let Sansa know who wrote it, only that it was imperative that she wore white so that an informant could pass her information.

The letter was soon burnt after reading just like all the others.

As she slipped on her white shoes with barely any heel to match, Sansa tried focusing back on the man waiting for her downstairs.

 

 

 

 

Once she made her way down the stairs she found Petyr sitting by the tree they had decorated, in his black tux with a bowtie and clutching something in his hand.

"Petyr?"

His name got his attention and Sansa got immense pleasure from his jaw dropping as he took in her outfit for the first time.

He got to his feet and almost knocked his shins on the coffee table, a small thing that almost had Sansa laughing.

 

"Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe how you look." He said once they stood with inches between them.

Sansa's cheeks felt like they caught fire and she ducked her head only for Petyr's fingers to grasp her chin to bring her eyes back up to his.

"I got you a gift."

"Petyr, I... you shouldn't have. I didn't get you anything."

Her protects fell on deaf ears and felt Petyr reach for her hand and place something on her wrist.

"I didn't expect you to get me something. Plus I wanted to."

As she examined the sparkly silver, diamond bracelet Sansa felt speechless as looked at the piece of jewellery and held back her tears.

Petyr got an armful of trembling Sansa and hugged her to himself till she was ready to let go.

"Thank you, so much." Sansa almost couldn't get it past the lump in her throat and saw Petyr's most warmest smile light up his face as he helped her with her warm thick coat.

 

 

 

 (Sansa's outfit -- The evening dress is one is from the 1940s and took a lot of research to find the right one and the bracelet is white gold)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up next is the date and for anyone whose interested, pictures to Sansa's outfit will be posted on my Tumblr.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been well over a month since I last updated, but if any of you read Are you my wife, I think it's pretty self explanatory as to what has been happening. 
> 
> So on a lighter note, please enjoy.

 

 

 

The car ride was long and slow which didn't bother either Petyr or Sansa who were too busy whispering to each other in the backseat. Lothor was dressed in his own tux and Lena dressed up, in a mid-leg burgundy dress beside him. Lothor just knew he was in for a night of protecting his boss, knowing without a doubt he would never let anything bad happen to Sansa, was going to be a long and boring one.

 

As he waited at the traffic lights, he saw the couple sitting surprisingly close and was glad he no longer had to deal with all their relationship drama anymore. _Oh boy! Unless Bossy Baelish does something else!'_

Lena's hand smacked his arm, which caused his smile to widen.

 

 

 

"Sansa you're shivering." Petyr pointed out the obvious, but his eyes lit up with his very own possible explanations, "Are you nervous? ... Excited?"

He still had an arm around her, a fact that didn't bother Sansa in the slightest as she felt like she was almost sitting directly in his lap feeling the need to be extra close to him too.

Petyr had an air of lightness about him from the moment they left the house, which made Sansa beyond happy. Only the longer the car ride became the more time Sansa had to think that this wasn't just a date when she remembered that damned letter.

 

 

There was a real possibility that it could all be a massive set up and her going along with wearing white could be putting a big flashing arrow on her person saying _here I am!_

Then if it was legitimate, what could they possibly want with her now?

She had already come to the conclusion that if he or she was who they say they are, hat she was officially done with spying on Petyr.

If they wanted anything from her regarding Goebbels, she'd be more than happy to pass on anything of interest but Petyr was now out of bounds.

 

 

"No. I am, it's just... " Sansa started answering Petyr but trailed off and looked away from him as she thought about everyone else who were going to be there.

A small part of her was angered that her first date was being ruined by the simple fact that they were sharing it with Nazi officials, soldiers and sympathizers.

Plus if the conversations held in Petyr's office were correct, people from all over the world. They mentioned some American's and English, which worried her to think about.

Making the informant even more concerning.

 

 

The arm around Sansa's back brought her closer still to Petyr's side, if that was at all possible and felt him lean in and place a kiss to her forehead.

"Don't think about them, find something. A thought or an idea, hold onto it and nothing else will be able to bother you."

"Like what?" Sansa asked as she looked back up at him and leant closer so their foreheads remained touching.

"Let's see ... ?" Petyr thought aloud and paused for a short while thinking.

 

"Varys likes to dress up in women's clothing."

"You're kidding!" Sansa pulled back shocked to see him so amused, "You're not kidding?" When his smirk grew larger it made Sansa release a small giggle, "Well I never would've guessed."

 

Sansa moved in and leant against him again as they continued to speak.

 

"I was snooping around his house once and stumbled across a closet with many different fantastical outfits. All weirder than the next."

"You were sneaking around a colleges house, why doesn't that surprise me Petyr?"

"Because you know me better than anyone."

The seriousness of Petyr's statement caused Sansa to move back, needing to see his expression in his eyes.

"Do I?" She asked and hated how meek and unsure she sounded.

 

Both of Petyr's hands grasped Sansa's hand that remained in her lap the entire time, feeling the weight of what he was going to say through the heavy air between them, his hands were caressing her wrist and toying with her new gifted bracelet.

All the air felt like it was being sucked out from her body the longer she was left waiting in anticipation of his answer.

 

"Yes."

 

Never had Sansa loved that three letter word more, than in this moment. Sansa felt herself moving in, wanting desperately to close the last remaining gap between them, to finally know the feel of his lips upon hers when the car suddenly stopped, ruining the moment entirely causing them to separate.

 

 

 

Petyr tapped Lothor's shoulder to get answers out of the man while Sansa and Lena had the same idea. They each turned to their side windows to see what the commotion could be.

They all watched as what seemed to be an endless line of soldiers marching along down the against street was blocking up most of the road before them.

Sansa looked to Petyr who seemed to be annoyed while she was only curious.

 

 

As the sea of soldiers slowly eased up, Lothor was able to move the car at a slow pace, being careful to manoeuvre through the people.

"Dummer fetter kahler Mann!"

Sansa's attention snapped back to Petyr at his outburst, "What's wrong?"

"The routes were discussed in advance, we collaborated together which roads wouldn't be blocked by exactly this! I know he did this on purpose."

"To what end?" Sansa asked him.

Petyr only answered by giving her a slight shake of his head, she thought he seemed too annoyed to say anything else.

 

 

 

As they continued down the road the car came to another stop when a large number of men cut cross them and headed towards demolished half empty buildings.

Another area affected by dropped bombs overnight. Sansa couldn't take her eyes of the men screaming orders, yelling while others kicked and pushed their way in what was left of those houses.

Seeing more destruction from bombs caused a large lump to sit heavy in Sansa's throat. She didn't want to ruin the night by crying, knowing that once she started, there was no telling if it would stop.

 

 

The shocked gasp was out of Sansa's mouth before she could get control of herself as everyone watched as scared, frightened people and families including children were dragged out kicking and screaming.

The armbands on all of the adults was very telling of what was about to happen.

The horror of the situation hit Sansa like a tone of bricks as she sat helpless in the car as the soldiers lined them all up.

Sansa's body tensed itself in preparation for the gunfire when the fifteen or so people started to speak. Their voices started off small and off, from the fear but as more joined in their voices grew louder and with more confidence.

 

 

Sansa leant closer to the glass as she felt mesmerised listening to all their sad voices.

Not one word made sense to Sansa's ears and as they finished with an amen, tears gathered but didn't fall as she listened and realised they were praying.

_What was that?_

 

 

"Mourner's Kaddish," When Lothor spoke from the front seat, it meant Sansa had spoken aloud without consciously knowing.

"Ow!"

When Lothor yelled Sansa turned to see him rubbing his arm from where either Lena or Petyr had hit him. Unfortunately they both seemed to have incredible poker faces and Sansa couldn't guess who it could've been that hit him if her life depended on it.

"Is that Jewish? What does that mean though?" Sansa asked, not knowing who she was directing the question to.

"Yes," Petyr replied to her as his hand raised and cupped her cheek in his palm, "It's for the dead."

Sansa loved the comfort his small action provided and nuzzled her way deeper into his hand causing Petyr to almost smile, instead his thumb moved and delicately wiped her cheek like he was wiping a stray tear away that never fell.

 

 

 

Petyr just so happened to be the perfect distraction and as they kept looking and examining each other, Sansa moved back to sit closer to his side when she thought she saw his eyes soften.

A look rarely seen, given the time and situations they always seemed to find themselves in.

Sansa wasn't aware the car had been moving for sometime and the faint sound of gunshots vaguely reached their ears from the large distance already between them.

 

 

 

 

As the car slowed down Lothor found their designated spot, closer to the building than most other vehicles, a privilege being in Goebbels office. Lothor and Lena were quick to exist through their doors giving the couple a few moments alone together.

"Take your time, we won't move till you're ready." Petyr's reassurance was met with a warm smile, ruined by the obvious fact that the shaking in her hands gave away her true feelings.

 

It was overlooked and forgotten when Sansa leaned in and placed another gentle kiss to Petyr's cheek, that felt better than the first time Sansa had done that in his office, "I'm ready."

 

 

 

 

It wasn't the music being played by live musicians heard from one of the large halls, but the sound of endless people chartering on that pretty much drowned out every other sound, making it barely impossible to hear one's own thoughts.

When Sansa had accompanied Petyr earlier in the week with the main concern being safety, they scouted the building and its known exits, there was just no way all these people were going to fit in the theatre.

With their coats taken and with her still clutching her purse, Petyr's arm was nestled protectively around Sansa's waist as he escorted her through large doors away from what he whispered in her ear, "Seekers."

People trying desperately to be seen and coming to the banquet on the off chance they can sneak in at the last moment while denying the fact it's clearly invitation only.

She hid her smile behind her purse, trying to contain he laugh that was bubbling to the surface while Petyr did nothing to hide his.

 

 

 

 

If Sansa was being honest with herself, as Petyr slowly introduced her to more people as they slowly made their way around the room, the more the fear crept over her.

With more than half the people in here in their uniforms while the rest made a show of their medals, like the one Petyr had pinned to himself, it was getting harder to seem like she fit in.

 

"Baelish." Varys spoke from behind the couple in a failed attempt to sneak up on them, so Petyr took his time turning to face the man.

"Dietrich," He finally addressed him, "I see you couldn't manage to find a single woman willing to accompany you for a few hours."

His dry wit was received with a slight pinch from Sansa's fingers where she held onto his arm, making Petyr almost laugh aloud. Before Varys had a chance to reply they were accompanied by Loras, Renly and Margaery.

The latter was decked out in a bright red ball gown, matching perfectly with the red at her lips and her long nails _and bloody shoes to match._

 

Loras and Renly seemed in high spirits and each took a turn to pull Sansa into a hug, with a reluctant Petyr not wanting to release her but accepting the inevitable.

"I see Varys wasn't the only one to arrive alone," Petyr made another point, this time directed towards Loras.

"I'm not," Loras was quick to speak up like he was offended.

"Please do tell who the lucky lady is." Petyr made sure it wasn't a question as they continued to look at each other, Sansa thought each man was seconds away from throwing physic punches when a tall man with an expression like he wished to be anywhere else but here. 

A look which Sansa could sympathise with.

Accompanied by a woman on each arm both with dark red hair but different shades from each other. Sansa barely had a chance to listen to Loras boosting that the lovely Ros was in fact his date before Renly took her arm.

 

"Come I want you to meet my brother." He said as they moved just a few steps away from the mass group they had been forming. "Stannis is our ambassador and has been in America for some years now."

 

Some pieces were beginning to make sense now and she guessed quite quickly that Renly's brother was the reason for him and his whore wife had been flying back and forth between the two countries.

It kind of explained why Loras' accent didn't sound quite right, either he was lying about being a German citizen or all the time spent in America had diluted his dialect.

 

"Stannis say hello." Renly cut through Sansa's thoughts as she focused back on her surroundings.

Sansa watched on and was amused that he didn't take the bate and it was the woman beside him that made the first move and stuck her hand out for her to shake.

"Hello, I'm Melisandre."

"Sansa Schmitz."

When they finished Stannis had stepped forward and Sansa shock his hand also, "Pleasure to meet you Fräulein Schmitz."

"Likewise Herr Baratheon."

 

Sansa didn't give anything away but when a familiar arm wrapped around her waist to draw her back, she was shocked for a moment when she didn't know that Petyr had snuck back to her side.

"Finally back in the mother country," Petyr's cold voice was directed at Stannis who just raised an eyebrow as he replied with one word.

"Clearly."

 

Everyone was standing around awkwardly, Renly even raised his fist to his mouth clearly about to cough when a waiter passed by carrying a large try with many drinks.

The tall blonde man seemed to be manoeuvring the crowd well when suddenly he tripped and as he fell the tray smashed to the ground in front of him while one of his hands reached for the first thing he could which happened to be Sansa.

With Petyr's hand still holding her, all three of them fell down in a heap.

Lothor and Lena had rushed over but before they could help Petyr was already on his feet. He was the first to quickly recover and immediately stood to help Sansa up, making sure to see if she was alright. With a look and a small nod to let he know she was fine, he exploded.

"What is your name boy. I will have your job for this!"

The man was physically shaken by the event was and hesitant to reply. "Ol... Olyvar and I apologise it was completely an accident. Fräulein are you alright? I'm really sorry."

He turned to Sansa and received a small smile from her before Petyr had his full attention again.

 

The waiters boss had come out with the commotion while Lothor and Lena each took hold of Olyvar's arms as Petyr walked and spoke in angry low tones with the boss they lead the scared waiter away. Only before Sansa had a chance to follow she was flanked by Loras and his sister.

"Ugly business. Hope you're alright dear?"

Margaery's words sounded sympathetic but for some reason they grated on Sansa, "I'm fine."

 

"Sansa?"

She turned to see Varys looking at her and stepped closer to him as to get further away from Margaery.

"I'm fine," Sansa repeated, only this time more genuinely and smiled gratefully when he handed over her purse which had been forgotten during the fall.

 

 

It didn't take long for Petyr to return to her side and brought her into a much needed embrace, it wasn't as long as Sansa would've liked but the hug was the first thing of the evening that she enjoyed.

His lips pressed to her cheekbone making her eyes drop as he lingered. She hoped Petyr would move his lips lower but he pulled back knowing anything more would be inappropriate.

 

Their eyes wouldn't stray from the other, her excitement rose when he opened his mouth to speak.

 

Sansa was so sure Petyr was about to ask her to dance but got confused when Petyr suddenly froze like he was in a living nightmare. Instead she was about to ask what the matter was when someone pushed their way through the crowd.

 

"Varys that driver you sent was the absolute worst. His manners left something to be desired, you should fire him! Make sure it happens before the night is over! I refuse to get back in any vehicle with that beast."

 

Sansa's confusion was increasing and all the tugging on Petyr's coat sleeve on her part wouldn't, couldn't get him to turn his attention back towards her.

 

Varys' smug smile was directed at Petyr as he spoke to him, "I believe you know my date. Remember our old boss, Jon? You know Arryn's widow, don't you Petyr?"

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dummer fetter kahler Mann! - Stupid fat bald man!


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two months! *sheepishly hides face away* It somehow feels longer than that, since I last updated this. 
> 
> As promised, I haven't EVER forgotten this and I will not till it's finished. 
> 
> Since I missed them I'll say it now, Happy holiday's, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
> 
> On a sidenote, Black_Lotus has made a wonderful poster for my story and once my laptop stops being sensitive I'll load it onto the first chapter. Until then it can be seen on my Tumblr page with a link there to view on DeviantArt, (thank you Black_Lotus)

 

 

 

Before Sansa had a chance to say anything the woman hanging off Varys' arm let out an ear shattering screech when she caught sight of her and Petyr standing together.

"Petyr my--"

Lysa was cut off by a woman dressed all in red pushing past her and clung to the arm that wasn't occupied by Sansa, "Petyr bagel, there you are! I insist we must dance!" Margaery said and getting a deathly look from Lysa for it.

The woman didn't care one bit and Petyr turned to Sansa apologetically when he was forced away from her. "I'm sure your date won't mind, she'll have you for the rest of the evening. I just want one dance," Margaery explained as the two left Sansa to deal with Varys and his date alone.

 

 

 

Sansa felt awkward as the pair seemingly examined her, not being able to handle the tension any longer, she spoke up. "Hello."

Varys spoke as the woman continued to stare at her, "Sansa this is Lysa."

"Have we met? I feel like--"

"How rude of me, Lysa lets go dance." Varys said, with Lysa's arm still attached to his, he directed them to the dancefloor before Lysa said anything further.

 

 

 

 

It felt horrible standing there alone with her date stolen from her, she felt humiliated. Scared, in a room full of strangers, officers, _Nazi's._

Petyr promised he wouldn't leave her side and there he was across the room leading Margaery like they were floating on water.

They seemed so comfortable together, dancing and ... talking.

Sansa wanted to go over there and knock the red whore out of the way and take Petyr for herself.

But she knew she wouldn't.

Wouldn't do anything so low to embarrass Petyr or herself in front of all these people.

 

 

 

 

"Would you like to dance?"

Sansa's inner monologue was cut short by Stannis' sudden appearance beside her with a polite question dangling in the air between them. The man snuck up beside her when she least suspected but not like Petyr.

No, Petyr had perfected the art of sneaking and would always manage to catch her unawares and get more of a visceral response.

Sometimes she wondered if he did it intentionally to see if her body would always respond to his.

In recent days whenever he would, Sansa's body no longer jumped from the fear of his closeness, now her body craved it.

 

 

As she watched how Lysa would turn her head to keep looking in Petyr's direction over Varys' shoulder and how Petyr and Margaery kept up their deep conversation as the twirled around the dancefloor, the smile that he graced Margaery made Sansa snap.

"Thank you, yes."

Stannis placed his crystal glass with a few mouthfuls left of champagne on the nearest tray as sever walking past. Sansa wondered if it was real crystal like her family inherited from her great grandparents that was sold off like a lot of their other treasured possessions.

 

 

Her small clutch purse was dangling from the small strap tucked into her bent left elbow and placed her hand on Stannis' arm while her right was taken in his before she was nudged backwards a step onto the floor and from there they moved gracefully in a slow waltz.

 

 

 

After their second turn across the floor Sansa looked up in time to see Petyr starring intently over at her with what could only be described as jealousy with her choice of dance partner. Sansa looked away, not liking how she had been ignored and only getting attention when she finally got asked to dance.

It was petty, her behaviour she knew that but a promise was a promise and he could've spoken up. It was clearly obvious by now how she felt about that whore and still he left with her without complaint, _on their date!_

 

 

 

"Have you ever been overseas?"

Stannis asked when Sansa began to lose focus and if it wasn't for his quick thinking stepped back in time and stopped them from tripping on each others feet.

Sansa looked back up at the man before answering, "I haven't."

"Pity."

So far every time Stannis had spoken it was in short bursts, but Sansa didn't find it as irritating as she thought she would. "There are some great places in America..."

Sansa lost focus on the other places from other countries that were mentioned when Lysa's yelling caught the attention from more than just her. Sansa watched as she demanded Petyr's attention, even pushing at Varys who was trying to calm the woman down and asking her to lower her voice.

Margaery was kind enough to relinquish her hold on Petyr when there was no reasoning with her and went straight into the arms of Varys and saw how the pair turned their dance more daring and provocative. While Petyr wasn't moving but seemed to be having a lot of trouble keeping Lysa's hands above his waist.

 

"I hear Yorkshire is wonderful this time of year."

Sansa felt her heart drop through the floor, all colour left her face and felt nothing but blood rushing through her ears. The shaking in her limbs wasn't anything but a deep seated fear her cover was blown.

 

"Lysa that's enough!"

 

Petyr's yell travelled even so far as to be heard over the live band. Sansa felt the slight movement of Stannis shaking his head negatively at the spectacle the other pair was making.

"Maybe someone should intervene before it gets worse?" Stannis' question was more a suggestion and one she didn't need to be told twice.

As she dropped her hands away, Stannis rubbed his elbow from where the corner of her purse had managed to smack him. "What have you got in there, a brick?"

"Thank you for the dance," Sansa said instead, remembering her manners even though his question was overlooked and thought her purse did feel a little heavier.

"You're most welcome, Fräulein Schmitz."

 

 

 

Sansa weaved her way through the small group of couples dancing, Margaery was now with her husband Renly, Ros and Loras were sticking to the edge to be less in the way, while Varys and Melisandre took a turn around the floor together.

She had just managed to get where Petyr and Lysa were still arguing when Sansa was swept into another pair of arms.

She instinctually pushed back to get away but stopped when Joffrey held onto her tighter.

Sansa reluctantly held onto his shoulders as his fingers dug into her sides painfully, she felt trapped and hated how Joffrey kept smiling at her.

 

"So how much do you charge?"

"Excuse me?" Sansa turned cold and froze on the spot refusing to let Joffrey lead her a single moment more.

"It's kind of obvious, isn't it?" Joffrey's smile still hadn't left his face and Sansa was trying not to hit him with her purse the same way it accidently did to Stannis. "Why else would someone as young as you go for old wrinkled dick."

Joffrey looked more smug now and thought Sansa was going to add more to Petyr's embarrassment.

 

She could tell she surprised Joffrey when her arms wrapped around his neck instead, as if she were hugging him and moved her face closer so she could whisper in his ear.

"Jealous of an older dick? Are you upset because your date won't pay any attention to yours?"

"That's disgusting!" Joffrey raised his voice only slightly but not enough to get most peoples attention, "She's my sister!"

 

Sansa stood with her back straighter as she brushed imaginary dust from her dress, making sure to let Joffrey know he didn't get to her like he had hoped too. "Really? You'd think that would be in your blood."

"What!"

Joffrey's face was turning red with anger, making Sansa smile as she walked away.

 

 

Feeling overly pleased with herself with how that was handled. Even using knowledge Petyr had shared with her not that long ago of his suspicions about the Lannister family.

Speaking of red faces, Sansa had never seen one as red as Lysa's as she came up beside them, Petyr felt her presence before he saw her. When Sansa's right hand landed on his shoulder all the fight left Lysa as she looked at the bracelet dangling and sparkling from her wrist.

"Petyr?" Lysa turned to him confused and shocked.

He took no notice and adjusted himself like he was physically ridding himself of the whole ordeal. "I'm going to dance with my date Lysa and I think you should do the same. Goodnight."

Petyr spoke as if it was the end of their exchange and didn't get any further when Lysa looked like she was about to explode.

"Maybe some place more private?" Sansa suggested to try and defuse the situation.

"You're quite right, not here." Petyr said as his eyes blazed deadly at Lysa.

 

 

 

He took a hold of Sansa's waist again and walked away knowing full well that Lysa was following right behind them. They stopped in front of the ladies room and leant in close to Sansa's ear to not be heard by anyone else, "I'm sorry, I won't be long."

"Promise?" Sansa asked apprehensively.

"Wait here for me?"

"Sure, fine." Sansa answered him as she crossed her arms over her chest, a clear sign she was protecting herself from further hurt.

Petyr looked like he wanted to say more but the annoying tapping from Lysa's foot had him change in an instant. He grabbed a hold of Lysa's arm painfully enough to have her voice her protest and bodily pushed her through the door to the men's room.

 

 

 

 

Not wanting to stand there all night, Sansa went into the ladies, to finally get a moment alone to look inside her purse. With a quick scan Sansa was pleased to discover she was alone and placed her purse on the counter by the sink after locking the door.

 

"What did you tell them!"

 

Lysa and Petyr's voices travelled and must not have known how paper thin the walls were, for Sansa would've been able to hear them even if they weren't shouting.

 

"What is she doing with your mothers--"

"No more games Lysa."

"You promised me--"

"I never promised _you_ a single thing."

"Liar!"

"This isn't a joke, now you tell me what you've been saying to the Eunuch!"

 

Sansa had never heard Petyr sound so angry in all the time they'd known each other and after the spectacle earlier she didn't feel sorry for the woman.

 

"Nothing."

 

Sansa could almost hear Petyr's relief and the moment he tensed again.

 

"Yet."

 

"What do you want Lysa?"

"I want that little whore gone!"

"Done."

 

Sansa waited for more but when the door was slammed she knew Petyr had left right after he spoke and must now be in the hall waiting and searching for her.

She ignored the sound of Lysa trying to justify her being in the men's room when more must've entered and focused back on her purse.

 

 

 

The clip at the top gave easily and Sansa stumbled back when she caught the first glimpse of a revolver. Her heart pounding in her chest felt like it had an even greater chance of escaping than ever before.

Her hands clutched at her heart as she took a moment to try and calm herself before taking another look.

 

As she tentatively opened it wider there were two pieces of paper that weren't there before either. Not wanting to touch the gun, Sansa carefully tugged them free.

Both pieces were no bigger than the size of her palm and both with contradictory words.

 

**Slip the gun under Baelish's seat before the film starts and you are free**

and the other read,

_**don't trust them, and whatever you do, do not touch the weapon** _

 

Not trusting either, Sansa trusted her instincts and ran the water tap to soggy up the paper before flushing them down the nearest toilet. She rushed back to her purse and opened the lid of the furthest trash bin from the door and tipped her purse upside down not caring if her lipstick was lost and was glad she didn't take anything like her id badge along with her.

 

 

 

 

When she exited the bathroom Petyr was nowhere to be found and walked back into the ballroom and saw him sipping wine with Cersei.

"I have absolutely no clue where these ridiculous rumours could've originated," Petyr said as he took another sip.

"I want them found."

"Of course, we must see justice done." His eyes caught Sansa the moment she entered again and discarded his wine glass, "Excuse me."

 

 

 

 

Petyr immediately walked over to Sansa to meet her halfway. "You didn't wait."

"I needed to freshen up," Sansa refused to make up excuses and by Petyr's look he got her meaning to be she wouldn't stand around waiting for him forever.

"I think we should talk later."

The panic she thought she saw in his eyes confused Sansa immensely and when she went to step back he came closer almost to the point of invading her personal space.

With the idea of them still being fresh notion, her body's natural reaction to any perceived threat was still guttural even if it was Petyr and felt the need for immediate distance.

Sansa tried to step back only to have his hands clutching her shoulders to stop her.

"Now." Petyr had never sounded so cold with her before and as she looked at his eyes, they were anything but.

They were pleading.

Begging for a chance to fix the damage between them the longer Sansa remained silent.

 

 

"Dance with me?" Petyr whispered.

At the first sign of her nodding her head, they were on the dancefloor before she realised they had moved.

 

 

 

Sansa's arms locked around Petyr's neck as he held onto her tightly, not painful like Joffrey's had been, more pleasant and comforting as his hands wandered up along her back. Sansa was the one to initiate touch as she rested her cheek along side Petyr's so talking could remain discrete.

"I want a full explanation later, that's all I meant."

His whole body sagged with relief and she felt kind of mean for making him think there was a real problem between them for so long.

The horribly-sweet nickname Margaery used on Petyr earlier must not have been forgotten and to her own shame played a miner roll in seeking revenge.

 _This pettiness was really something they both needed to work on,_ Sansa thought to herself.

 

 

 

 

They continued to dance and enjoy the peace of the moment. This was the closest they had been all night and both were savouring every second.

Neither spoke as they danced and swayed around the floor with their eyes only focusing on each other.

They completely lost track of time and even ignored the sound of a bell that let guests know that the light meal set up was prepared, which meant there was still another hour before the film was to begin.

 

 

 

"I don't know about these two idiots, but I'm starving!" Lothor said as he and Lena walked past the band that was still playing and the couple still swaying on the dancefloor.

"Shut up Louie. It's sweet." Lena reprimanded Lothor affectionately.

 

 

 

The thin silkiness of Sansa's dress made her more aware of Petyr's hands, it was like they had minds of their own and with every gentle caress and stroke along her back made her whole body shiver like never before.

Petyr's anger and frustration from earlier and his panic and fear of an immediate breakup before they had even really begun vanished the moment he had Sansa back by his side and in his arms.

His eyes didn't miss a single thing, her body temperature rising and her eyes dilating as she shivered with desire caused him to press their bodies even closer.

His hands squeezing and touching places on her that she didn't know could cause her to mew under her breath.

 

They had long given up dancing and Sansa only took notice of it when it felt like Petyr was completely supporting her up, the darkness of his eyes didn't frighten her it only made her more weak.

Her hold on Petyr tightened when she felt his lips against her clavicle, she wasn't the only one to moan then and she felt the vibration against her bare skin, making her tip her head back and close her eyes.

Petyr took the opening presented to him and lovingly devoured her neck slowly travelling up.

With each peak another small moan escaped past her lips and when he reached behind her ear the reaction from Sansa as she shook and clutched him all the tighter had him trying to control the basic urge not to find the nearest flat surface.

 

Only they weren't as alone as they thought they were, and Tywin's throat clearing as he purposely walked right by them had them doused with clear case of reality again and where they were.

 

 

"Sorry," Sansa meekly said.

Petyr's hands tightened again briefly, if that was at all possible and shook her slightly. "Don't apologise," Petyr was firm as he spoke inches from Sansa's face, "Not for this."

The reassurance shining in his eyes and his pleased smile got Sansa to smile too.

 

 

Their hands both reached for each others, fingers entwined as the followed behind Tywin into the next room, only to stop short when Tywin did, when people screamed.

The moment the screaming started Petyr tried using his body to stop Sansa from witnessing anything and tried directing them away and back towards the ballroom, but with their height similarity she could clearly see over his shoulder and gasped as she saw two people lying dead of the floor clutching their throats.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, the date isn't over yet


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter, and this entire story is (in memory and) dedicated to my -late- great uncle.

 

 

 

Sansa

 

 

_Sansa_

 

 

 

 

The excitement in Sansa's belly made eating all the succulent food spread out before her or drinking any of the refreshments near to impossible. The cheers and happiness for her and Petyr were almost deafening in the rented ballroom, she didn't hear Petyr approach her from where she sat surrounded by everyone, friends and family all smiling and laughing, all just having a good time.

Anita was admiring her white silk dress that brushed the ground when she stood up and Sansa played with the bracelet that Petyr so lovingly gifted to her that she wore everyday since the moment it was placed there on her wrist, as she listened to the older woman but the hand that landed softly on her shoulder got her attention all the better.

 

Jon and Robb saw Arya spill her juice all over her plate and threw their heads back laughing instead of helping her clean the mess up. Her father scolded them and was rushing to soak it all up with all the available napkins in arms reach with the help of Bran as her mother sat across from her with young Rickon who was happily sitting on her lap as she held a conversation with Manfred.

 

Cateyln was smiling warmly at her and it caused in Sansa a powerful feeling of wholeness, she felt totally at peace and was complete as she saw how proud and happy her mother was for her.

Sansa was always told that when she smiled she drew the attention of everyone in the room, it must've worked when she felt Petyr's right land on her shoulder bringing to her the only other person that was missing from this celebration.

His hand moved delicately, deliberately caressing along her clavicle making Sansa shiver with unspoken desire, gooseflesh covered her skin entirely making her shiver visual to his eyes and his look darkened, answering her desire with his.

His other hand was held out to her in offer, asking and demanding all at once to be accepted.

 

 

The siren call was simple and impossible for her to resist and so Sansa took the proffered hand and stood with Petyr's help as he lead them out to the dancefloor where the music suddenly changed to fit them perfectly.

Slow, sensual and powerful.

Petyr was a fantastic dance partner and lead her across the floor without missing a step. His arm around her waist holding onto her firmly not letting Sansa get away, not that she wanted to, felt like it belonged there.

Sansa loved how this man could make her feel safe and protected while at the same time make her long for the simplest of touches, she felt like the woman she was always meant to become.

Strong but also desired and most of all loved.

She wanted to stay in this perfect moment forever. He looked more handsome then ever as he wore his black tux with finesse, Petyr's eyes never strayed from hers and looked darker as passion oozed from every pore, he pulled her in more tighter towards him until there wasn't a speck of dust that could get between them.

Sansa, like a moth to a flame was powerless to look away either and hoped that the reciprocated desire reflected back in hers.

 

She loved to dance and she loved dancing with Petyr even more, every dance they shared never felt the same and as Petyr spun them again, for probably the third or fifteenth time - she wasn't counting- the lights made the diamond on her wedding ring sparkle brighter causing her smile to widen with unrestrained happiness.

Petyr's inquiring look was answered when the hand holding hers was brought to her lips where she delicately kissed his wedding ring that Sansa had placed there only a few hours earlier, that now permanently resided on his right hand at his own request.

When she looked back up into his eyes they looked just as desperate for her lips as she was for his. Sansa could faintly hear the laughter from where her entire family were sitting off to the side, she moved in and could feel Petyr's breaths on her face just as their lips grazed.

Sansa could smell the slight tang from the red wine he'd drunk earlier in the night that still lingered on his breath. It didn't smell sickly, in fact it smelt inviting and Sansa's mouth watered at the thought, wanting even more of a deeper firsthand taste. To feel his soft lips on hers as her tongue sought what he had partaken in.

Petyr's head tilted to invite her closer, his eyes were taking their time closing, waiting for the exact second their lips met before they were to close when the cheers of everyone in the room turned to screams which suddenly made her soul freeze to ice.

 

 

 

Sansa

 

 

_Sansa_

 

 

 

The screaming got louder and Sansa got quieter, she barely noticed that someone was shaking her, grasping her shoulders tightly and trying to get her to respond but all she could focus on were the two dead women lying in the middle of the room as two doctors tried to resuscitate them, which they knew was a vain attempt.

Some people rushed past trying to flee but were quickly apprehended and brought back into the dining area under the orders of Tywin who was bellowing out orders at everyone to get the place back into some semblance of order.

 

"Schließ diesen Ort ab."

 

"Everyone sit down."

 

"No one is to leave."

 

"Sir, the Führer is scheduled to be here any moment," Petyr informed Tywin from behind him where he was still holding onto Sansa, who was still trying process what she was seeing.

Jaime and Tyrion rushed towards their father and stopped and waited to be addressed directly. Tywin was still busy but stopped when he took a deep breath and gave both his sons a look before settling his gaze on his eldest, "Get word to the Führer's entourage and stop them, it's imperative they not arrive."

 

As Tyrion went to follow Jaime out of the double doors a strong hand on his shoulder stopped him in his place, "No. You've been drinking."

Tywin was straightforward as always but for some reason it irked Tyrion even more so, "I can help." Tyrion tried helplessly.

"Yes you can, you're my first witness." Tywin snapped his fingers at the two soldiers just a few steps away and got their attention enough to know they were both being summoned. "Take my son to the maintenance office and watch him until I arrive."

The two large men had no resistance taking the smaller man away but Tyrion's look of betrayal followed Tywin until they turned the corner and could no longer see them.

 

 

 

Sansa

 

_Sansa_

 

 

 

Large long tables were strategically placed about the room to allow for guests and waiter staff to walk amongst them without knocking into the back of someone's chair.

They all looked to be having a good time, some getting more into the drink than others but the atmosphere for once was one of excitement and not fear of what was waiting just outside the doors to the fighting beyond that.

 

Guests had already made a reasonable dent in their meals when two people sitting a quite a few tables apart started coughing, both desperately gasping for breath and turned an ugly shade as they both collapsed on the floor knocking over dishes making a mess of themselves and those sitting beside them.

The initial shock of someone choking and dying in front of them wore off the few that were used to dismal situations and quickly acted to help.

 

 

Roose Bolton dropped his fork and left his half finished meal behind, he snapped at one of his sons special helpers that was standing by the back wall watching the chaos around them to follow him, Hotpie or some such nonsense, saw Roose's hastened movements and couldn't hear him over the noise but with the bag he'd been holding all night, protecting, and ran to the older man's side. Roose's son loved to give his newest helpers weird nicknames and would show them off to Roose for approval once they were up to Ramsay's working standards.

He never cared about how Ramsay got them so well complacent but he couldn't fault his son's results.

 

As Roose knocked a useless Joffrey out of the way and pried Jaime off too, Roose was able to reach Cersei who was writhing on the floor and clutching her throat, Hotpie restrained her arms, avoiding the broken glass as Roose pried her mouth open to see what could be restricting her airways.

 

 

 

Sansa

 

_Sansa_

 

 

 

As soon as the screaming started and people tried pushing everyone else out of their own way, to get away there was only one person not rushing, who was in fact calmly finishing his current mouthful of potatoes and washed it down with a few sips of his beer.

 _The Angel of Death_ or so his co-workers and fellow soldiers had dubbed him behind his back, a name that he made no secret that he was actually quite fond of.

Ramsay saw his father rise from his seat a few feet away and so he took that as his cue to finally do the same and help the other pathetic woman who had been screeching and making a scene all night.

The woman was clearly deranged for coming as the eunuch's date but that didn't stop Ramsay from doing his duty as a doctor and felt along her larynx to see if her neck was swollen, Lysa's scared eyes were bulged and the way she wasn't moving Ramsay knew he was too late to do anything, she was already dead.

So he went about trying to determine what could've been the cause of her death, his hands squeezed tighter than was considered normal as he checked externally and finding none.

"Where's my little three-eyed raven? I need my medical kit!" Ramsay asked and he didn't have long to wait as he passed a napkin from his newest and brightest helpers little hand to use to open Lysa's mouth to have a look inside, seeing only traces of bile, phlegm and blood which his sensitive nose could pick up past the smell of sick, the metallic smell of blood lingered, as well as the wine she must've been guzzling down stained around her mouth.

 

 

 

Sansa

 

_Sansa_

 

Sansa?

 

 _"Sansa?"_ Petyr's voice brought her back from the deep unknown as she registered they were still holding each other. His hands moved and cupped either side of her jaw, "Are you back with me?"

Her eyes were slow to regain focus and the first thing Sansa became aware of was the strong sigh of relief Petyr let out as he saw her coming back from her own abyss and was finally seeing him again.

It took some effort for Sansa to block out the noises and their chaotic surroundings and just look at Petyr. _"Yes."_

 

Petyr drew her in close and rested his forehead against hers, making her close her eyes as she relished his touch and affection. He said something that Sansa couldn't hear and waited patiently for him to speak again, "Water. Would you like me to fetch some?"

Sansa opened her eyes again and saw Petyr's, they were the closest she'd ever seen them and saw the small flecks of green splashed against the grey backdrop, making his eyes uniquely his own.

 

She was so focused she almost missed when Petyr leant in further and was disappointed when his lips brushed the dimple of her cheek just before Tywin interrupted them.

"Both of you follow me." He ordered them and walked off knowing neither of them wouldn't dare not follow him.

 

 

 

 

"Wait here." Tywin said as he reached for the door in front of him, they heard a heated argument going on inside and they could vaguely make out the voices of Tyrion and Joffrey.

The arguing stopped when Tywin entered in looking thunderous anyone in the hallway heard him, "Tell me everything you saw" and "One at a time" just as Petyr shut the door for the family to have some privacy.

 

 

Sansa stood there still feeling somewhat dazed until she felt a hand land on the back of her arm almost spooking her worse than she already was. Lena was standing there looking worried for her and was offering her a glass of water that Sansa gratefully accepted, giving her the best smile she could under the circumstances.

A few men walked past here-and-there but before too long the office door opened again and Petyr and Sansa were walking in.

 

 

 

They walked into an office that looked half the size of what they were used to, only making enough room for a small desk and a few chairs with not much else floor space to walk around.

Tyrion and Joffrey both stood up, the smaller man left them all looking more angry then annoyed and Joffrey got up to stand beside his grandfather only to get scolded, making Joffrey pout and glare in the corner.

Joffrey wasn't hard to read and looked at them both with anger and accusation. He voiced his outrage when Petyr escorted Sansa further inside the room so they both took up the position of standing behind Tywin.

The door was being closed and Sansa saw just in time to see Lothor's face right before it happened and Petyr's arm that was still wrapped protectively around her went a long way to comfort her, even though all of this was making her nervous.

 

"What are you doing, arrest them! I know they killed mother!"

 

"Quiet boy and let the grownups work."

 

Petyr coughed into his hand covering up his smile just in time when Tywin tore into Joffrey and tore down all his accusations.

"Here," Tywin said as he handed Sansa a notepad from the desk and a pencil. Sansa's hands were still visually shaking as she grasped them and felt confused for half a second and then realised he'd meant for her to take down notes just like Petyr had always made her do during every meeting she'd accompanied him.

 

 

The door was opened again in in came Stannis and Melisandre. The two had a private conversation and didn't know of the two people standing guard, Lothor and Lena were subtlety lip reading along as they spoke.

 

 

"If we stick to the story everything should be fine, right Stannis?"

"Yes."

"This is serious Stannis, both of us could - you do know what to say right?"

"Yes, I know what I'm going to say."

 

 

Stannis chose to stand as he helped Melisandre into the nearest chair and stood with his hands folded together behind his back waiting to be addressed.

Sansa made no comment but it didn't escape her notice how Melisandre crossed one leg on top of the other, not one foot behind the other with legs together.

A small movement that would escape most peoples notice but Sansa felt a pang for old times with her family and her mother teaching both her and Arya the proper way in which a lady should always sit.

Missing her parents, all her brothers and Arya.

Wondering what had happened to those who were still alive.

Hoping against hope that they were alive and above all else, safe.

 

 

 

She observed how Stannis took in everyone in the room and saw how his scowl intensified when he lingered on each man and stood slightly straighter right before his name was uttered.

Sansa regained focus and listened as she jotted down Stannis' recount of events and specifically where he was when the murders happened.

 

 

"As everyone made their way to the dining hall, that was about the time that I saw Herr Baelish and Fräulein Schmitz dancing. I was stationed next to Renly, having to listen to everything he and Margaery did in California as I ate.

Approximately ten minutes later Loras sat himself in the seat beside me, that meant for Melisandre.

It was at that moment I couldn't see her anywhere."

 

"You know I-" Tywin stopped Melisandre, who had a look of betrayal and was stopped from talking further to allow Stannis to finish.

 

"Frau Arryn was at the other end of the table, her voice travelled as she made her sentiments about the couple dancing in the next room to the Finn's and Tyrion well known." Stannis' eyes were on Petyr even as he had paused again which was to give Sansa a chance to finish writing.

"Got something you want to add there Stannis?" Petyr snapped.

"Not with the women present," Stannis was quick to reply.

"Go on anyway!" Joffrey laughed, loving how the two men looked like they wanted to continue but were smart enough to hold back within Tywin's presence.

 

Stannis waited for Joffrey's laughter to end before he went on, "I didn't see Herr Dietrich until Frau Arryn first started choking."

 

 

 

 

 

Margaery and Renly Baratheon were next and Margaery played her role well, crying when appropriate and saying what they needed to hear in order for her and Renly to get out of there quicker.

 

Loras and his date Ros didn't hold up as well and both blubbered like children before anyone had a real chance to ask them anything. "It was horrible. The way they died like that."

"We were together the whole night weren't we Ros?"

"Yes, we never left each others side."

 

The Finn couple came in not long afterwards and Luis handed over Sansa's purse, placing it on the desk for Tywin to reach, Sansa didn't realise until that moment she had lost it in all the panic.

All the pieces were coming together and Tywin looked through it to see the pistol that she had abandoned in the women's toilet trash bin. Shocking quite a few of them as he took it out for everyone to see.

"Did you see who planted this?" Tywin asked. Luis' wife Mila was shaking like a leaf but she nodded her head in a yes all the same.

 

 

A few more people had come and gone and by the time Varys came in, Petyr looked bored and ready for bed but perked up when his co-worker came through the door followed quickly by their superior Goebbels.

Both he and Tywin were stood to attention and saluted him. It all happened so fast and with the blood rushing through Sansa's ears, she barely had enough time to register it all, handing off the notepad to Joffrey and fastening her pace to keep up with the men walking and talking in front of her with her only catching glimpses of their conversation.

 

"... And arriving to this"

 

"... What a waste of a night"

 

"... At least the night isn't a total loss for some!"

 

They passed the dining hall where all the people were still waiting and through back hallways Sansa didn't even know existed and stopped when they reached an emergency exit, the doors were opened to a back alley where a car was there in waiting for Joseph.

"I trust you both to keep me apprised?"

Varys and Petyr were both quick to say yes, each trying to speak before the other but made them end up being synchronised instead.

"I'll be joining the Führer at The Eagle's Nest, until then neither of you go to the office. Who knows where the next attack will be."

 

 

 

 

Once they were back in the office where Tywin was finishing up an interview with the young terrified kitchen staff, Lena had taken over the role of writing everything down and there was no trace of where Joffrey had gone off to.

Petyr stood by the door blocking the only exit with himself and Sansa beside him, who refused to leave his side.

 

Varys took a seat gracefully and crossed his arms over his stomach giving all of his attention to Tywin. "Why may I ask why haven't my co-workers been questioned yet?"

Tywin looked up at Varys to answer him, "Because they didn't leave my sight all night."

Varys didn't need to take much time to soak in that titbit of information and asked his question within the blink of an eye, "Where would you like me to start?"

"From anywhere you're comfortable." That didn't sound right coming from a man like Tywin, his tone of voice even gave Petyr chills.

 

 

"Tyrion was rather fond of the bar, where I myself didn't partake."

"You were with him all night?"

"Mostly. A number of other people wanted my ear including Cersei but that was much earlier in the night before the dancing started. Lysa wasn't happy that Joseph phoned me, so she went to dinner without me."  

 

 

Petyr was instantly on high alert and his hand tightened behind Sansa's back where his hand had gravitated towards her waist again, like he needed to keep touching her. Sansa didn't mind, she welcomed it but when she felt him straighten up and they looked at each other she knew instinctively that he was telling her Varys lied.

 

They kept silent even after everyone finished talking, Lena left the room after Varys but left behind the notepad and left it on the desk. Sansa wondered if she should leave too but Petyr's hold prevented such an action and so she closed the door and stayed there as Petyr finally sat.

 

"It's clear to see what has happened," Tywin begun.

"It is," Petyr said.

"So you know who killed Cersei?"

"Yes. And Lysa?"

"I know the culprits."

 

 

 

 

"Was it Stannis?"

"No, that's exactly who they wanted you to think." Petyr leant forward when Tywin poured them each a drink and both casually took a sip, "They were betting on you not looking any further than Stannis' revenge for his brothers murder." Petyr quickly held his hands up in surrender, "I know there's been no arrests and there's nothing to implicate Cersei but the logical thinking would be that Stannis would place all blame Robert's wife."

"Go on," Tywin placed his drink down and leant back in his chair, all his focus on Petyr.

"The next logical step would be Renly but that man is as dangerous as a Oster but I know who he would get to do the deed for him."

"Who?"

"His lover Loras Tyrell."

"I know you, you're withholding. Who else?" Tywin wasn't in the mood for games and looked ready to snap so Petyr talked faster.

 

 

 

 

 

Sansa was shaking from nerves when they all entered back into the dining hall, the hour was late and she had long since forgotten what the hour could be but by the scratchiness behind her eyes told it could be well past midnight.

The noise of many people talking was silenced from Tywin entering and those who had fallen asleep were woken.

 

Tywin spoke he was loud enough for all to hear, "Ros Snow and Loras Tyrell you are under arrest for the murder of Cersei Baratheon."

 

The outcry was loud and none more so than Margaery and Renly, they both verbally tore into the Gestapo soldiers cuffing Loras and trying their best to follow when he was dragged away.

 

"Melisandre Smirnov."

 

The woman looked up shocked that her real name was learned, even though she made no secret of her being Russian, she had always taken great pains to make sure no one learned that one truth.

 

"And Varys Dietrich, you are both under arrest for the murder of Lysa Arryn. While everyone else, you are free to leave."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Schließ diesen Ort ab - Lock this place down

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments welcome. I love to hear from everyone


End file.
